The Secret Serpent
by Reizbar-Ookami
Summary: Sequel to Mythaven. Joey and Seto find themselves settling into normal life. Well, as normal as life goes for a Dragon Master and Golden One, especially if said Golden One is pregnant and there's another evil snake. So basically normal. For them, anyway.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hey people! Glad to see you reading this _wonderful_ sequel to _Mythaven!_ It starts out kind of slow, but things will speed up and become more exciting as we go along. And don't think we've seen the last of everyone from Mythaven, because we haven't! **:**D We're going to be seeing Kankana and Soumya again, and everyone (or almost everyone) else from the book!

I know some of you will want to see the dragons again, and many of you are probably curious about Tlipo and the newly female frank. **X**D They will eventually make their appearance, rest assured. Another thing to look forward to: a female Joy! He needs a friend, don't you think?

I also believe I should point out now that I LIKE TÉA/ANZU!!! There will be no bashing of her, at least in my mind; anything that she does that is stupid will be in-character (at least I believe it will). And I know some of you think "ohmiGod Téa's such a slut/whore/bitch/friendship-freak/moron!" Well, Téa _is._ I won't deny that. However, 4kids (or just Americans in general) has _made_ her into that swbffm. In the Japanese version, she gives _one_ friendship speech. She is not the ditz she appears to be.

And the female characters don't get enough love, anyway. Besides, I believe I'm pretty good at making you at least deal with characters you normally hate; you don't have to like her in this story, just don't hate her. She's a good and (maybe unfortunately for you) necessary character.

But one other thing. Oh my GOOOOOD a lemon in the first chapter? Whaaaaaat? Don't worry, it's at the very end, and I'll tell you all so that you can skip it completely if you want. **:**D You won't miss anything important. …Except some totally awesome sex. But if you don't like reading lemons, that's okay! Just skip to the footnotes at the bottom! **:**)

P.S.: Does anyone know _why_ they're called lemons? This confuses me to no end. …Because I can't see what citrus fruit has to do with sex. Srsly.

The Secret Serpent

Chapter 1

Seto grunted as something heavy plopped in his lap and nearly clubbed whatever it was with his book instinctively. Luckily, his boyfriend was used to this reaction, ducked the book, and snuggled up to his chest. "Mm… I'm back."

The brunet blinked, stunned, then sighed and relaxed, reaching up to idly play with his hair as he looked back at the book in his hand. "Good. I was afraid I'd have to go in after you."

"Aw, you know ya like t' come visit everyone," Joey cooed, then began placing little kisses along his chin and jaw. "Kaii misses ya."

"Yes, I know. However, he says he wants little brothers and sisters, so I'm trying to read all of the books Kankana said to check for about adoption. I just realized I should have tried the journals all the Golden Ones kept first. …But the other books were so much more interesting," Seto sighed, rubbing his temple. "Some of them are just so _boring._ Do I _look_ like I want to read about a baby unicorn taking its first steps? Whoop-dee-freakin'-doo."

"Mm, poor baby…" Rolling onto his stomach, the blond smiled and let his kisses trail lower to his neck. "But I really appreciate your hard work…"

The older boy sighed and reached down to give his ass a good squeeze with his free hand, making him squeal in embarrassment. "Puppy, you're going to make me horny. We don't have enough time before school for me to give you the love-making you deserve and still get there punctually."

Joey blushed and looked away, then looked back up at him, frowning. "Have ya found anything, though?"

"No. Apparently, each Golden One wanted children of his or her own to take care of. These Golden Ones are very family oriented." Seto ran his hand up and down the blond's side and sighed. "I can't see a way of getting around one of us getting pregnant."

"Yugi says he'd much rather see _me_ pregnant, and Ryou agreed," the blond commented, his rosy cheeks growing even warmer. "They said I'd be more willin' t' let 'em touch my tummy when the baby starts kickin'."

Seto snorted. "Like hell I'm letting them touch me."

Joey took a deep breath, then stated, "That's why I was thinkin' that maybe it _should_ be me carryin' the babies." Then he was up off his boyfriend's lap with his backpack in hand, rushing toward the door. "I gotta go or I'm gonna be late for school!"

"Wha-! You can't just drop a bomb like that on me and run away!" The brunet stood up and scowled, glaring after him. "If you think we're not going to talk about it after you get home from school, you're sadly mistaken!"

Poking his head back into the library, the blond smiled sweetly. "But Seto, don't you remember? I'm spendin' the afternoon at Yug's!"

"…You little _brat!_"

Seto watched the blond giggle and disappear from sight again, then smiled a little and sat back down. He would be lying if he said he was upset; he was merely annoyed. However, he was pleased at the prospect of the younger boy carrying his children. Just the thought of the blond caring enough, loving enough to carry their children was enough to make him want to just scoop him up and never let him go. And, from what he understood, the gaining of a female reproductive system would just make him more beautiful, from what the journals he'd read implied.

He didn't believe that Joey could get anymore attractive than he was, but if he somehow managed it, he probably wouldn't be able to keep his greedy hands off of him. How unfortunate.

Taking his glasses off, he sighed, then let the book in his hand drop onto the table beside his chair. He'd been reading nonstop for _days._ And it hadn't been just the journals of the past Golden Ones, which Joey had so kindly leant to him in an attempt to see if maybe adoption would work. No, he'd had to go through report after report when he got back from their stay in Mythaven, and then he'd had to catch up on paperwork from all of the projects that had been delayed by his absence, and _then_ he'd had to go through reports of other various projects.

His eyes wanted to explode. He decided that today was a very good one for a 'mental health day,' as Mokuba called them. And Mokuba had encouraged him to take them as often as he felt he needed as soon as he caught up on paperwork again. He figured if he told his little brother that his brain had threatened to implode and slowly but surely ooze out his ears, he'd understand.

Seto stood and yawned, stretching to get out the kinks in his back. When he found that some of the kinks weren't going to come out, he sighed and rubbed the back of his head, then made his way out of the library, intent on getting some breakfast and going to bed for a nap. His plans changed when he saw the blond's bedroom door open; he wanted to sleep more than anything else right now. And, since Joey wasn't here…

Closing the door to the blond's room, he smiled, then walked over to the bed and lied down, hugging one of the pillows to his chest and burying his face in it. It smelled a little like the softener the maids used in the wash, but it mostly smelled like Joey, and that's all he really wanted. Curling around the pillow, he wiggled around until he was comfortable, then sighed, pulling up the blankets so he could sleep in comfort until Joey came home, when he'd quickly return to his own room, before the blond could come in and accuse him of being a lovesick fool again. …Like he had the last time he'd caught him sleeping in his bed.

Seto couldn't help it if he wanted to smell his mate as he slept. He wasn't allowed to sleep with him—which gave him _horrible_ anxiety as it was—so he had to settle for the next best thing. Besides, it wasn't as if he was making out with his pillow. That would just be weird.

Feeling as if something was watching him, he frowned, then turned and looked toward the far corner of the room. Something felt… off. But he couldn't tell what. After a few minutes, however, when he couldn't figure out what it was, he sank back down into a lying position and sighed, once again cuddling up to his mate's pillow. He was tired. Sleep was good.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey raised an eyebrow as his friends walked into class. Yugi had a bright, happy smile on his face, which wasn't in and of itself unusual, but there was just something… _different_ about it. Maybe a slight smugness to it? And Yami, well… his expression carried the same pride and satisfaction that Seto's did after a round of sex. He personally called it his 'I-didn't-just-get-some—I-got-a-_lot_' expression. Seto had agreed that it was a good name and just continued to smile that damn smile.

"Good morning, Joey!" Yugi exclaimed, his smile becoming a bit brighter.

The blond felt his eye twitch. "What's wrong with you?"

At this, the smaller boy looked confused, and tilted his head. "What are you talking about, Joey?"

"I don't see anything wrong with you, aibou," Yami commented, and smiled when he received a grateful nod. So it was just a weird 'Joey Thing.'

"Ya have a weird look on your face," Joey stated, narrowing his eyes as he leaned closer to him, trying to inspect his face for more clues. "And Yami has his 'I got sex' face on. So why are ya smilin' like that?"

Yugi blinked at him for a few moments, then smiled again. "Oh! I got to be on top last night!"

Every single brain cell the blond had combusted, as well as every capillary in his face, it seemed like. He couldn't think of anything to say, and his face felt like it was on fire. He felt his pencil snap in his hand. Vaguely, he realized that he should probably blink; however, he was too busy staring at his friend in embarrassed horror.

"…I'm… going to go bug the tomb robber," Yami stated after a few moments, deciding that he didn't want to deal with the blond when he currently had that 'you-shattered-my-innocence-you-_monster-_I-can't-believe-you-did-that' kicked puppy expression. It actually made him feel sort of bad.

Yugi tilted his head innocently, then turned back to his friend, frowning in confusion. "I don't get it, Joey. Why is that such a big deal? I mean, Kaiba must let you—"

"Kaiba has _never_ let me!" Joey hissed, still blushing, and looked away from him quickly. "I don't think Kaiba would _ever_ let me! He's got trust issues even more fucked up than mine!"

The smaller boy blinked, then raised an eyebrow. "Joey, you know you don't _have_ to be seme to be on top, right?" When the blond only turned a darker shade of red and kept his gaze averted, he sighed. "Really, Joey? After all that straight porn we watched _[1]_? And you're embarrassed?"

"It was never _me_ in those videos, okay?! It's different with me an' Seto!" he exclaimed, then covered his face in humiliation. "Oh, God." He wanted to die. "…'sides… he's been busy researchin' t' see if we could adopt. He says he's too tired, but… I think he's just tired of waitin' for me t' choose…"

Yugi tilted his head again, surprised. "I thought you already did."

"Mmm…" The older boy bit his bottom lip and rubbed the back of his head, softly admitting, "Well, I have, but I haven't told him yet."

"_Joey!_" The smaller teen looked horrified. "I can't believe you'd do that to him! How could you!"

"I didn't _wanna_ do— He's so—I can't explain it!" Joey covered his face again. "I wanna tell him, but I wanna tell him the right _way…_" He groaned and let his head fall to his desk with a thud. "'nd I hinted at it this mornin' when I got back from visitin' Kankana, and then I got scared and I told him I was hangin' out with you and Yami, and I just don't know what t' do!"

Yugi sighed and crossed his arms, scowling. "Fine. You can come over. But _only_ if you are deciding how you're going to tell him or you're doing more research about how your pregnancy is going to go."

The blond sighed and looked up at him sadly. "I really fucked up this time, huh? 'nd Seto's gonna be mad at me when he finds out I've been makin' him look through things he didn't hafta look through and the longer I wait the madder he's gonna be—"

"Joey, calm down." Placing his hand on top of the blond's head, he couldn't help a small smile, because he was just so stressed out about something that was really so simple to deal with. "I'm sure he'll be so happy hearing that you'll do it that he's going to completely forget about all the reading he's done." He couldn't help a chuckle. "Heck, I think he'll even disregard you keeping it to yourself for a while, he'll be so happy. He's so funny sometimes, it's weird."

Joey looked up at him and sighed, looking so nervous that his friend wished he could help calm him down. "Ya really think so?"

"Of course. Besides, if he starts to get mad, you can just kiss him and he'll forget all about it," Yugi added, smiling brightly.

"…Nrgh…" The taller boy sighed. "I dunno whether that makes me feel better or not…"

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto gasped and sat up quickly, horrified, then groaned and ran his hands through his sweaty hair. "Oh, God… Fuck…" He was still trembling from the adrenaline of the nightmare he'd had. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a nightmare that had terrified him this much.

He tried to remind himself that his mate would never leave him, that Joey was too loyal to do that, but the image of his puppy-eared blond shoving his ass in the air for—for… that pink-haired _bastard_ with that stupid _accent._ And that bastard had been making his tail _wag._ His mate's tail had wagged for another man! One that he'd shown _open hostility_ with before! The one he'd called a diva, a circus side-show freak, a freak! So why was he letting him fuc—

"_Mother fucking mate-stealing __**BASTARD!**_" He probably would have continued in his slander of the other man but for the realization that he had just accidentally burnt a hole in the blond's wall. "…Shit…" Looking around the room quickly, he stood to go push his dresser in front of the burn. He didn't need to know about it. …And he would doubtlessly get a tongue-lashing if Joey saw it.

But back to this disturbing dream he'd had.

Pulling out the chair from the blond's desk (he'd insisted, so he could bring some of his paperwork from Mythaven home with him. Who would have thought that the Golden One had to deal with so much paperwork?), he sat and rested his chin on his laced fingers. _'I know my puppy would never leave me. He's too loyal, and even if he wasn't, I know he'd stay anyway if only to make me happy. So what the hell was up with that?'_

Seto had no idea why he would have such a horrifying and infuriating dream. His puppy was loyal, affectionate, and sweet; he was also quick-tempered, feisty, and violent. He had also shown great distaste for the pink-haired man in his dream. So why would he have a nightmare starring his lover and one of the few people his lover hated having sex? It made absolutely no sense, and he was more than a little worried and perplexed. He didn't want to become a jealous mate. He knew he was one, but not to the point that he'd accuse his lover of cheating on him. Still, he was afraid he might become one.

Sighing, he let his head hang. This was just going to give him a headache, and then Joey would be unhappy with him because he'd believe he'd been working too hard. He didn't want his puppy yelling at him—

—_and may initially include cramps, bloating, and slight bleeding. These are normal when the male reproduction system is made to accommodate a female one as well, and until hormones balance out, mood swings are also typical. Most men are unable to conceive for a month after first gaining their female reproduction system. Once the baby is born (in whatever condition it may), the uterus used will begin to shrink, then disappear, and to have another child the male will need to go through the magical procedure again; time until conceiving will be shortened with each pregnancy._

Seto actually _felt_ the metaphorical cogs whirling in his head stop moving. When they finally began to slowly regain motion, puzzle pieces of his mate's recent behavior suddenly began clicking into place. Joey had been recently complaining of cramps, and then about his pants not being able to fit as well as they used to. Both events had caused an increase in moodiness that had the blond snapping and growling at him, then hurriedly apologizing in a rush of remorse. It also explained the blood he was sure he hadn't caused when they'd had sex.

No. No, no, no. Joey would _not_ make him read through all of those things when he'd already decided what he was going to do. He wasn't cruel. He knew how hard Seto was working and then reading the Golden Ones' journals on _top_ of that. So he would never… He wouldn't…

He wasn't going to lie; he was a little hurt. But he was more pissed than hurt. His mate was getting a good spanking when he got home.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey sighed softly and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I guess I better go…"

"So! When are you gonna get knocked up?" Bakura called, making him flinch as he reached for the doorknob.

Ryou scowled and elbowed him in the side. "_Bakura!_ Don't be so rude!"

"Whaaat? I just wanna know…"

Téa raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Wait, you were serious about that, Joey?"

Once they'd gotten back from Mythaven and Téa had cornered them demanding for an explanation for their absence, (and threatened to beat each and every one of them to a bloody pulp if they defied her) they'd told her everything, from first being sucked in to when Seto and Joey came back out, minus the few intimate details that wasn't necessary for her to know. They'd expected more of a reaction from her, really; Joey had to admit that he was kind of disappointed with the surprised but accepting 'oh.' She seemed to be more surprised with the fact that an entire world was okay with depending on Joey for something than she did with the actual existence of the book.

Joey blushed a little and looked down at his feet, then sighed again and walked over to sit down on the couch next to her, the only open seat. "Well, the books I found told me that it would take maybe a month until I was able t' get pregnant. And I did it about a month ago… So sometime soon. I've been goin' t' Mythaven every week since it happened, just in case, but he keeps sayin' I haven't…" His nose wrinkled in distaste for the next word. "'Conceived' yet."

"You go see a unicorn for that?" Yugi asked in surprise, blinking innocently.

The blond frowned at him. "Who else would I go to? If I went t' a doctor, they'd think I'm a scientific 'specimen' an' keep me under glass. Then it would be in the papers, and ya remember how much the stocks dipped after they found out he was datin' me…"

"And then how they went right back up because about half of Kaiba's fangirls became rabid yaoi fangirls," Tristan muttered, slouching in his seat.

Joey's brows furrowed together in concern. "Is Duke still not answerin' your calls?"

The brunet snarled. "_No._"

At this, nearly everyone in the room flinched. So Tristan was bisexual and swinging mostly toward girls, but he could like males, too. And Duke wasn't entirely bad-looking. He'd even been willing to work things out and maybe even start a tentative relationship with him at the beginning. Now he was just hurt, because every attempt he'd made to contact the other boy had been met with silence from the other side; Duke had accepted his call once, then hung up on him.

"You seem more upset than usual," Yami commented, raising an eyebrow inquisitively, only to hurriedly duck when a magazine was thrown at his head. "Ack!"

Téa caught it (how she became such an expert magazine-catcher, no one knew) and looked at the cover, frowning. "Have you kept this with you all daaaa… Oh, dear."

"Why, what is it?" Yugi asked, frowning. "Is it bad?"

She cringed a little as she read the headline that had no doubt hurt her friend, and would also no doubt infuriate her other one. "'Dungeon Dice Creator Rolls a Pair: Duke Devlin Has Found a Girlfriend.'" She flinched even more when the others gasped, and could only pray that their reaction to the next part wouldn't be so bad. "'Serenity Wheeler says she couldn't be happier.'"

There was silence for all of five seconds; then, Joey was on his feet, letting out a roar of fury, and the others were reminded how thick his accent got when he was angry. "He's goin' out wit' my sistah wit'out even talkin' t' Tristan!? He's goin' out wit' my _sistah?!_ Get me a phone! I'll rip 'is guts out! I'll strangle 'im wit' 'em! He'll rue th' day! Rue it, ya hear me!?"

The phone was passed in his direction for fear that he would accidentally unleash his powers like he had the last time, when he first heard that Duke wasn't taking any of Tristan's calls. …He'd accidentally blown out the phone line and every other electrical outlet in the building, along with every single one within a mile radius. That had taken some major fixing on his part, once he'd gotten calmed down.

As the others braced themselves for an explosion, Joey punched in the phone number angrily, then put the phone up to his ear and used his shoulder to keep it there as he crossed his arms, fuming. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so angry with his baby sister.

"_Hello?"_

"So, I hear you're goin' out wit' _Duke Devlin,_" the blond spat, not even bothering to greet his sister, even though he usually would. He could practically hear his sister cringe in response.

"_Oh, you saw that article, huh? I was hoping I'd be able to tell you myself, but…"_

"Listen t' me, Ren. I'm only gonna say dis once."

"…_Yeah?"_ she asked nervously, biting her bottom lip.

Joey's eyes darkened angrily. "You bettah drop dat cowardly two-timin' jackass bastard wit'in da next half hour or I'm gonna find 'im an' rip out his _tiny pathetic_ heart. I'm gonna do it as _slowly_ an' _painfully_ as possible an' den I'm gonna make 'im _eat it._"

"_You can't do that! Joey, I know you don't want me to date—"_

"Oh, ya can date, I don't care 'bout dat," he hissed. "I just care 'bout _who_ ya datin'. And my baby sistah _certainly_ ain't gonna date a cowardly bastard dat won't return 'is crush's phone calls an' when he _does_ get 'em hangs up on 'im."

"_Oh, are you talking about Tristan?"_

Joey blinked in surprise, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Yeah, sis. I am."

"_Yeah, Duke told me about that! He said that Tristan asked him out, but when he said no, he just wouldn't give up on him, and he's had to change his numbers and email addresses and everything— It's so weird; I always thought Tristan was so nice…"_

The blond mouthed wordlessly, so furious he didn't know why he hadn't exploded into bright red and dark black confetti that combusted into flame wherever it landed. His friends hurriedly vaulted over the back of whatever seat they were sitting on and ducked down as far as they could. Well, all except Téa. She merely sat back with her soda and watched him, frowning.

Let it never be said that Téa wasn't brave.

Finally finding his voice (and his control of his muscles), Joey threw the phone as hard as he could at the wall, where it became lodged by the antenna. "_Mother fuckin' cunt chasin' bastahd ass hat vile evil __**FIIIIIIIIEND!"**_ he roared, trembling with rage.

Téa offered him her soda, even though she'd promised herself long ago that sharing any food or beverage was just asking for a puppy following her home; she decided that she was safe from him following her, what with the threat of a jealous and possessive Kaiba hovering over him. "Drink this, please."

The blond snatched the can out of her hands and began chugging it, then crushed it once it was empty and threw it at the wall as well; it left a dent. "Who the _hell_ does dat bastahd dink 'e is?! Just runnin' around breakin' hearts an' screwin' around wit' people's lives-! I'm gonna _find_ 'im and _beat_ 'im t' a pulp!"

"Please don't destroy Yugi's living room," Téa sighed, watching as he began to pace. She nodded in satisfaction when the blond stopped throwing things but began choking some invisible person in front of him.

"Gonna strangle 'im an' rip off his dick an'—"

"_Joey? Joey, what's going on?"_

Joey froze, then looked back at the phone in horror. His baby sister had just heard him swearing like a sailor? About her _boyfriend?_ …He was mad, but he knew his sister could get worse than even he could.

"_Joseph Wheeler! You pick up this phone right now! I know you're listening! You've stopped __**swearing!**__"_

Sighing in defeat, he reached for the phone, only to blink in surprise when he found someone else's hand closing around it and yanking it out of the wall before him. "Eh?"

"Serenity, this is the guy that dressed your brother in a _dog suit,_" Téa stated, placing her free hand on her hip as she began to scowl.

"_Well, I know that, but he apologized—"_

"He can apologize to Kingdom come, Serenity. That doesn't change the fact that you're dating someone who has humiliated your brother. Also! Duke lies. He's a businessman. It's what he does. Besides, Joey knows Duke personally. Do you think he'd get so _righteously_ angry if he didn't know for _sure_ about what he's talking about?"

"_Well… No, I guess not, but how is it different for __**me**__ dating him than Tristan dating him? Tristan's his best friend!"_

"_Tristan_ can beat Duke to a puddle," the older girl replied, scowling. "Not just a pulp; he can do it to a puddle. Now I know you can protect yourself, Serenity, but you just don't have that spirit of maliciousness that Duke feels he needs to deal with. Now, it would be in your best interest to break up with Duke as soon as possible or deal with your brother." She held the phone out. "Joey, say goodbye to your sister."

"…'Bye," he stated softly, frowning.

"_But wait—"_

Téa turned the phone off, then went to go hang it up. "I expect you'll be wanting to repay me for my help, Joey, so you can buy me a new pair of ballet slippers and go shopping with me tomorrow."

"But—" he sputtered, then sighed in defeat. "…'kay…"

"Now, you better run along home, before Kaiba comes and gets you," she added, waving him away.

Joey tilted his head, confused by this turn of events, but drifted toward the door as she began ushering him toward it. "Gee, if you'd been sucked int' the book with us, Akuju would've been dead within an hour of bein' there."

"I know, I kick ass. Say hi to Kaiba for us!" She smiled at him sweetly before slamming the door shut after him.

Yugi scowled at his darker half. "And you wonder why more people didn't pick on me when we were growing up?! With Téa as my friend, it was like having my own guardian angel!"

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto narrowed his eyes as he heard the front door open and close, then growled when he heard his mate timidly calling out to him. He assumed that Joey could tell that he was pissed. "I'm in the living room." When the blond hesitantly peeked into the living room, he scowled and growled again. "Come here please."

"…Seto…" Joey fidgeted with his fingers nervously, then made his way over to the armchair, for some reason feeling like a puppy that had done something bad on the carpet. "…Is… everything okay…?" He winced as the brunet turned his glare on him. "Seto?"

"You had me looking through information when you _knew_ you didn't need it," the older boy hissed, then wrapped an arm around the blond's waist and yanked him down, causing him to fall over his knees.

"Eep! Seto, what 're ya—"

"Do you know how tired I've been!?" Seto snapped, then brought the flat of his down on his mate's left cheek, then his right, alternating between them to give him an even punishment; he wanted him to feel the same amount of pain on _both_ sides when he sat down. "When I could have been doing something more productive!?"

Joey let out a yelp of surprise, then began squirming, tears forming in his eyes with every slap. "A-ah! Seto, that hurts-! Stop it!"

"You made me believe you were still trying to figure out what you were going to choose! Do you know how hurt I felt when I figured out that you'd already made your decision and you hadn't told me?!" The brunet growled, then twisted the smaller teen so he was sitting on his lap. "Why would you make me do that, Joey?!"

"I-I-! I didn't mean to— I just wanted to— I was thinking about how—" The blond squirmed, trying to struggle out of his arms. "Seto, I—Lemme _go!_" He whimpered softly, then turned and let his head fall onto the brunet's chest a little harder than he probably would have under normal circumstances, hiding his face in his shirt as he began to tremble with the want to cry but was too stubborn to do so.

Seto growled again, but his anger had simmered down to an annoyance. "Fuck, puppy, you seem to know _exactly_ what to do to piss me off."

As the brunet loosened his grip on him, he tore himself out of his arms and ran from the room, refusing to cry in front of him. He had no idea how Seto could have found out that he'd made his decision; he'd tried to keep it secret, looking for the right time to tell him himself. And he'd just gotten _spanked_ for it. He hadn't been spanked since that time in Mythaven-! …Well, that was a lie, but he hadn't been spanked as a _punishment_ since then!

Joey knew that he wouldn't apologize. He could feel that he'd truly hurt his mate by not telling him, so he felt completely justified in punishing him. That didn't mean, of course, that he wouldn't feel guilty when he found out why he'd withheld the information and for treating him so roughly. Then he'd rack his brains trying to figure out some way of _showing_ that remorse without actually apologizing, causing him to ignore his work, which he'd then have to make up by working the weekends when he usually took them off, leaving him alone when he needed him most.

The worst part was he'd done it to himself.

Throwing himself onto his bed, he allowed a few tears to escape, but not many. He sniffled for a few minutes, then sat up and rubbed his nose, deciding that he'd only brought this upon himself, and he needed to somehow make this up to his mate. He couldn't do anything remotely sexual, because Seto would still be feeling guilty and probably wouldn't be in the mood for a good while yet.

And then he remembered what Yugi had said and he wondered if it would work. He… he _was_ a little curious about it now. After all… you didn't have to be seme to be on top.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

_OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD! A LEMON! This is the end of the chapter, unless you want a lemon. In which case, it's down there. _|v|v|v _…It's not very good, though._

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto growled and kept thumping the back of his head lightly against the headrest of his chair, cursing in every language he knew (which was quite a few) for his stupid temper. He'd really hurt his mate. Joey probably had a very good reason for not telling him yet, and he'd just gone and spanked him. Hard. …With no intention of kissing it better. He supposed he could go try now, but the blond would most likely try to impale him with the nearest sharp object; most likely a paintbrush.

He frowned as he sensed his mate coming toward him. It made no sense. Joey would still be mad at him, so why was he coming toward him? …Well, he supposed the blond was coming to punch him in the face for being so mean. It had happened before.

He stiffened as he sensed the blond coming to a stop beside his chair and prepared himself for the oncoming pain, and then the barrage of words sure to follow. …But then the smaller teen was straddling his lap, and he was more than a little confused by this.

Looking up in surprise, Seto raised an eyebrow in confusion. "…Puppy?"

"Just sit," Joey cooed, then slid his hand down his chest slowly and used the other one to begin unbuttoning his shirt. "And let me do everything."

The brunet was intrigued by this, and a certain perkiness from a certain part of his anatomy attested to that. "Mmn…"

The younger teen leaned down and began licking softly at his chest with short strokes of his tongue. When he felt the brunet's purr rumble through his chest, Joey smiled, then began rocking his hips a little as he pushed the older boy's shirt off his shoulders. "Mm, Seto…"

Seto let out a surprised growl with the small movements of the blond's hips, eyes beginning to glow with each forward thrust. "Puppy… Nn… What are you…?"

"Nn-!" The blond blushed a little, whimpering, then licked his way down to one of the older boy's nipples, giving it a small, curious nip. When the physical response was a loud, surprised snarl, he moaned and began sucking gently, suckling at the older boy's hardening nub until it was erect, then switched to the other one and lifted a hand to begin fondling the one he'd just abandoned.

The brunet snarled and thrashed his head from side to side, determined to let his puppy do what he wanted; this was interesting, and he found he liked the blond exploring his body. "Oh, fuck, puppy…"

Joey mewled as he felt the brunet's hands sliding down his back, then moving down further to cup his rear. This was soon followed by small whimpers of both pleasure and pain when each of his cheeks was kneaded roughly. "Ooh… Yes… Mn…" Moaning, he dragged his nails down the brunet's chest and bucked forward, grinding their hips together violently.

Seto snarled again and pulled him down against his hips even harder. "Oh fuck yes! Mine!"

"Mn, yours," the blond whispered, leaning up to lick and kiss his ear, before he began rocking from side to side to see what sort of reaction that would get.

"_Shit!_" The brunet's eyes flew open as he gasped, but then he was pulling him down harder, bucking his own hips upward to meet each grinding movement. "Oh God, oh fuck, oh shit!"

Joey mewled again, then reached down to slide his hand into the other boy's pants and grasp his erection. "Nn, need my master in me… Puppy needs a good mating…"

Seto answered the mewling by reaching down to frantically pull at the blond's pants. "Oh, _God,_ I can _do_ that."

"Ooh!" The blond blushed as his pants and boxers were pulled down and a finger was slid inside of him. "S-Seto!"

"Jesus, puppy, you even prepared yourself for this," the older boy hissed, then leaned his face into his pup's neck. "Fuck, you make me so hard, puppy."

Joey yelped as the finger was removed until to find himself being hurriedly yanked down onto the brunet's eager shaft. "Oh! T-that's—what I need—uh!" He moaned loudly and closed his eyes as he began lifting and lowering himself with his legs, then slid his arms around the brunet's neck. "S-Seto!"

"Joey…" Seto groaned softly in appreciation and used the grip he had on the blond's hips to help him move, jerking upward to meet his movements. "Nn, my puppy…"

"Ha-! Ah…! 'm sorry-! 'm sorry, Seto!" The younger boy whimpered as the brunet grabbed his shaft and closed his eyes tightly. "Ahn…"

The CEO frowned, perplexed. "Sorry for what?"

"I-! I-! I should've-! I shou—_Haaa!_" The blond threw his head back and moaned, twitching his hips slightly in a way that normally, the older boy would find mind-numbing.

"Sorry for what?" he asked again, yanking him down harder.

"I should've told ya—Oh, fuck, Seto!" Leaning his head on the brunet's shoulder, the pup groaned again, dragging his nails down the other boy's back. "Nnn…! You fuck me so good!"

Seto frowned, then stopped the blond from moving forcibly. "Joey… Are you doing this because you're sorry?"

Joey whined. "_No,_ I _wanna_ have sex with ya! I had my reasons, but—" Growling, he glared at the other boy. "You let me move or I'm gonna bite ya, Seto."

"…Fine," the brunet sighed, then allowed him to move again.

The younger boy moaned and arched his back, then pressed himself up against him. "Ooh, yes… Seto… Nn…" He mewled softly, knowing that the brunet liked his noises, then leaned in to press their mouths together. "Mmn…"

The brunet groaned, eyes fluttering shut, but he vowed to bring this conversation back up later. …Much later.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

_OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD! THE LEMON IS OVER!_

And now footnotes! …Or foot_note._

[1] True story. Jounouchi and Yuugi have a small conversation about Jounouchi's (censored) straight porn. He offers to let Yuugi borrow it. Yuugi is enthused by this idea. Chapter 2, page 1 of the manga (well, technically, it's page fifty-five of the manga, but I read online).


	2. Chapter 2

Yeah, this one's a bit—okay , a lot—shorter than the first chapter. In my defense, that was the _first_ chapter. …The next chapter will probably be longer than this one too… So this is just a midget chapter. Midgets need love too! D**:**

Edit (07-25-09): FAIL! I forgot the footnote, sorry.

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Throwing himself onto his bed, he allowed a few tears to escape, but not many. He sniffled for a few minutes, then sat up and rubbed his nose, deciding that he'd only brought this upon himself, and he needed to somehow make this up to his mate. He couldn't do anything remotely sexual, because Seto would still be feeling guilty and probably wouldn't be in the mood for a good while yet._

_And then he remembered what Yugi had said and he wondered if it would work. He… he was a little curious about it now. After all… you didn't have to be seme to be on top._

_**Lemon!**_

_Seto frowned, then stopped the blond from moving forcibly. "Joey… Are you doing this because you're sorry?"_

_Joey whined. "No, I wanna have sex with ya! I had my reasons, but—" Growling, he glared at the other boy. "You let me move or I'm gonna bite ya, Seto."_

_The brunet groaned, eyes fluttering shut, but he vowed to bring this conversation back up later. …Much later._

Chapter 2

Mokuba sighed and scrubbed at his eyes for a few seconds as he trudged toward the living room, then yawned. "Seto, I'm home from—" He stopped in horror, then quickly covered his eyes again. "OH MY GOD MY _EYES!_"

At that, Joey snapped wide awake from his dozing and turned his head, horrified. "M-Mokuba, y-you—"

"You _perverts,_ just goin' around screwing wherever you want to! There's still a _minor_ living here!" the boy wailed, turning his back to them quickly. "I didn't need to come in and see my brother and his boyfriend post-coitus!"

"Mokuba, stop yelling," Seto sighed, giving the blond on top of him a soft pat on the butt. "We've still got most of our clothes on and you can't really see anything."

Mokuba spun back to him, sputtering angrily. "So I should be okay with seeing it?! You _blinded me!_"

"Then I suppose the porn I found under your mattress is blinding too, so I should take it away from you, right?" The brunet narrowed his eyes. "I know you like to think you're smarter than me, Mokuba, but I believe we're on an even playing field. You and I win against the other just as much as we lose."

At this, the younger boy blushed and scowled a little. "Do you know how much I had to pay someone to go in and buy those for me?!"

"Less than your entire monthly allowance." Seto raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you think I don't keep tabs on you?"

Joey blushed even more and hid his face in the other teen's chest, groaning softly. That meant that Seto knew _he_ was the one buying the porn for him, too.

"Yes, I know, I'll punish both of you equally," the brunet cooed, giving him another pat on the butt. "Mokuba will have his videogames taken away for a week and _you_ will find yourself with one less cell phone."

"You-! Ya can't do that t' me! I got plans with the others—" the younger teen began, brows furrowing together when the brunet merely smirked at him. "…Seto…"

Mokuba raised an eyebrow. "…Do I get to keep my porn?"

Seto shrugged carelessly. "If I don't find it under your mattress again. Really, Mokuba, did you think I was an idiot?"

"…A kid can hope," the younger boy mumbled, then sighed and turned to go put his videogames away; he wanted to be there when Seto tried to take away Joey's cell phone, but he knew that that could most likely end in bloodshed, so he wanted to stay well out of the way of that.

Joey watched him go, still more than a little embarrassed about being caught after sex, then started to get up, but then the brunet yanked him back down, scowling. "Eep! Seto, what-?"

"You said you were sorry." The older boy's angry expression turned into a frown of concern. "Did you have sex with me because you were sorry, puppy? Or to make me feel badly for spanking you?"

The blond scowled a little, then tried to stand again. "That is _not_ why I did it, ya _jerk,_ so—"

"Then why are you sorry?"

Hearing the complete and utter confusion in his mate's voice, Joey looked back at him, then sighed and relaxed again. "I'm sorry I didn't tell ya I'd made my decision. I just… I wanted t' tell ya at the right time, and I just couldn't seem t' find it."

Seto tilted his head. "When would the right time have been, puppy? You make it seem as if I can't handle the way certain information is handed to me."

"Well ya _can't,_" the blond stated huffily, then began to stand again. "You'd have been so happy that you'd jump my bones sayin' that we need to hurry up and get me pregnant, even _after_ I told ya that it would take maybe a month before I could…" His nose wrinkled in distaste. "_…Conceive._ Why do they even use that word? It makes it seem all scientific and not at all as happy and sweet as it should be."

"Well it's a lot better than saying 'putting a bun in your oven,'" the older boy replied, for which he received a confused frown. "What?"

Joey shook his head slightly in disbelief. "Where did ya even learn that? …Scratch that, I don't wanna know…" he sighed, turning to leave as he fixed his clothes. "I'm goin' t' bed…"

"You think Mokuba doesn't make me watch movies with him?! I could have said 'your egg-o is preg-o!'" the brunet called after him.

The younger boy merely growled and mumbled something about CEO's not being allowed to go so long without sleep. Then, he decided he should have a talk with Mokuba; perhaps if he offered to continue buying him porn as long as he didn't make Seto watch any movies like that anymore, they'd all be one big happy family. And Seto wouldn't be spouting nonsense and stupidity.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto jumped as he heard his phone start ringing, then dove for the bedside table, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He let out a curse as he hit his head on the lamp, knocking it off the table, and rubbed the back of his head, reaching for the phone. However, without one of his arms down to stabilize him, he was left tumbling to the floor with the phone in hand. This was soon followed by a stream of curses so violent that he could _sense_ the feeling of insecurity of the person on the other line.

"_What?!_ For the love of God, _WHAT?!_" he shouted, once the throbbing in his body had faded a little, and he slapped around for his alarm clock. "It's two o'clock in the _morning,_ you—"

"_C-c-could I talk to J-Joey please?"_

Seto blinked for a few moments, confused, before he scowled. "What the hell is going on, Yugi? Is the world in danger again?"

"_I'm sorry, Kaiba! I thought this was just Joey's number! If I had known that it was just the household number, I would have—"_

"Why are you calling my house at two o'clock in the morning?" the brunet asked shortly. He was tired and sore; fighting to get the cell phone out of Joey's hands was getting to be too much of a chore. …He should probably find a different punishment for him soon.

"_Well… Joey told me to call him to make sure he was okay. He said he wasn't sure if…"_

"JOEY WHEELEEEEEEEEER!"

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey smirked, then snuggled down under his covers, confident that his doors could withstand whatever pounding Seto gave them—including the magic beating he would most likely use when he realized that he'd taken the time to enforce them before Yugi had called. And, because he'd soundproofed them with some oh-so-convenient magic, his sleep wouldn't be disturbed. Grabbing the phone, he lifted it to his ear and sighed. "Thanks, Yug'."

"_You're welcome. …Um… Could you never ask me to do this again? Kaiba sounded really mad…"_

"No prob', Yug'. Have a goodnight," he added, still smiling, before he set the phone down. Curious to hear what the brunet was shouting, he lifted the spell a little.

Just in time to hear, "Joey Wheeler, I'm going to _kill_ you! Don't think I won't! You little—"

Humming carelessly, he put the spell back up and snuggled down again. "That'll teach _you_ t' spank me and take away my cell phone, ya prick."

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Hey Jo-! …Joey, what happened!?" Yugi exclaimed in concern, getting up from his desk quickly.

Joey, despite his black eye and bloody lip, smirked and waved him off. "Nothin'. I just showed my _mate_ that he's only the dominant one in our relationship because _I_ let him be."

"…Joey, he split your lip…" the smaller boy pointed out, frowning.

"…Actually, he was tryin' t' kiss me goodbye before I got outta the limo, but I was still a little pissed, so I tried t' leave without finishin' it. He bit my lip t' keep me from leavin'." The blond blushed a little and rubbed the back of his head. "The black eye is actually from him fightin' t' get my cell phone."

Bakura raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Why not just heal yourself?"

The teen smiled brightly and shrugged. "Well, when he sees the bruises he accidentally leaves on me, he feels bad, and it's sort of easier t' deal with him that way."

"…Joey, that's horrible," Téa stated, making him flinch a little. "And you wonder why he gets mad at you?"

"…But I know exactly why he gets mad at me," Joey stated softly, looking confused.

She rolled her eyes and threw her hands up in defeat. "Never mind! Boys are hopeless!" She blinked as she heard a couple of disbelieving snorts, then scowled and turned toward Yami and Bakura in frustration. "You think you were any better when you were mooning after Yugi and Ryou?"

"I was not _mooning!_" Bakura snarled, glaring at her.

"Uh huh. And I'm the queen of England," she replied, glaring at him, before huffing and turning her attention back to the others.

The former thief appeared smug at this, but the smug smile soon fell to an expression of horror when he saw the hurt look on his beloved's face. "H-hikari, I—"

"Oh, shove it!" Ryou exclaimed angrily, smacking him in the face with a book, before huffing as well and turning his attention to anyone that wasn't his boyfriend.

Bakura looked horrified. "Ryou!"

"Would it kill you to be romantic just _once!?_" the younger boy snarled, turning a glare on him again. "I mean, even _Kaiba_ can be romantic, and he's so socially awkward he might as well go backward!"

Joey seemed offended by this himself. "Hey! He's not that bad!" However, when his friends merely gave him the most skeptical looks they could, he sighed and sat back in his chair, mumbling about how sometimes they could be such jerks, and how Seto wasn't _that_ bad.

Yugi, to diffuse the situation that he could just tell was going to occur, leaned forward. "Did you see the unicorn today, Joey?"

The blond huffed, still more than a little annoyed, then sighed in defeat; he couldn't stay mad at those big violet eyes for too long. "No, I was too busy this mornin' dealin' with the aftermath of 'Pissed Off Seto.' I'm gonna go see him after school."

"Would it be okay if I came with you?" Téa asked quickly, and blushed a little when everyone looked at her in surprise. Huffing, she crossed her arms. "Well, _you_ all got to go and see all of the creatures there. And I've always wanted to see a unicorn!"

"…I don't think there would be anything wrong with that," Joey answered, smiling at her. "Besides, ya _did_ help me out with Serenity." He winced a little at the reminder and suddenly turned toward his other friend. "Tristan, are ya—" When the brunet only grunted, he sighed. "Man, I'm sorry."

"If Duke's too much of a pussy to stick around and see how you react to him liking you, you shouldn't even bother chasing after him." Téa scowled, reaching over to poke him in the forehead.

Tristan flinched backward. "Ow!"

"Let him come _crawling_ back to you like the stupid bastard he is. Really, where _would_ you guys be without me?" She raised an eyebrow. When she saw the boys frantically trying to come up with an answer that wouldn't be offensive, she sighed in exasperation. "Rhetorical question." As they all sighed in relief, she rolled her eyes. "Idiots."

"…Anyone else wanna come t' Mythaven?" Joey asked quickly, before she could ask any other rhetorical questions that would no doubt make them feel stupid.

Ryou smiled brightly. "I'd like to go! Those franks were pretty cute!"

"Oh! And Téa can meet Joy, too!" Yugi added. "I've missed him! He's always doing something adorable!"

"You mean that Petit Dragon?! I looked up a picture on the internet and those are so _cute!_" she squealed, clasping her hands together.

Joey couldn't help a small chuckle. Really, in the matter of some of their mythical friends, they could _all_ be such ditzy little girls.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto ran a hand through his hair, trying to keep his concentration on his computer screen. However, he was having a terrible time. He just couldn't figure out why. He just kept feeling waves of jealousy and anger toward his puppy, though he had no idea why; his mate would never cheat on him, would never be unfaithful, hadn't done anything _too_ bad to upset him recently… so why did he feel this way?

It was time to get out of the office, perhaps go on a walk. He'd need to go see Soumya soon, though. He knew that Joey would try to be understanding, but he could only push him around to show his dominance in the relationship so much, and it was times like these that he thanked every deity that existed that Joey was much like his dragon in that aspect; he only showed his true dominance when his mate (Seto) did something incredibly stupid (like try and take away his cell phone).

Luckily, Seto's moments of idiocy were few and far between.

Pulling on his coat, Seto sighed as he began out of his office. "Hold all of my calls, please. I'm losing my mind in there."

"Yes sir," his secretary answered obediently. She'd noticed how restless and antsy he'd been recently.

Not to mention he'd been taking to growling when he was pissed, and purring when he was happy; she'd be lying if she said that the purring didn't creep her out.

Seto didn't quite know where he was going, but he decided the park might be a good idea. He'd found that watching the children play and imagining _his_ children someday doing the same had a very calming affect. Not only did it calm him, but it soothed all of his jealous and angry fears; Joey loved him enough to carry their _children,_ so he would never cheat on him or anything like that.

He blinked in surprise as he felt his cell phone vibrate, then frowned and pulled it out. However, now that he thought of it, it would probably be about lunchtime for his still school-bound lover and his friends. "Hello?"

"_Hey, pookie!"_

"…Please don't call me that," he replied, sighing, and sank onto one of the park benches. He could still remember the first time the blond had called him that. It still irked him, but he was more resigned to his fate than most would have thought. …Being called 'pookie' just meant that there was a possibility he wouldn't like whatever his lover told him. "What is it?"

"_Well, fine, if that's the way you're gonna greet me—"_

"_Joey._" Seto narrowed his eyes. "I'm not joking. Tell me what it is you're afraid I'll get angry at and get it over with. I don't want to listen to you babble about that new painting you're doing again."

He heard a huff on the other line. _"Fine! I was just callin' t' let ya know that me, Yug', Ryou, and Téa are gonna go t' Mythaven after school, so I won't be home right away. The unicorn's gonna check if I'm pregnant, and then we're gonna introduce Téa t' Joy, and the franks."_

"Ah. …How's Tlipo doing, anyway?" the brunet asked, leaning back on the bench and resting his free hand behind his head. He just felt like listening to the other boy speak right now.

"_Oh! Well, he's doin' okay. Apparently it's fashionable t' get pregnant now, though. I mean, Kankana's pregnant, I'm tryin' t' get pregnant. …The frank got pregnant…"_

"Oh. …Well, at least you know your female reproductive system thing works." Seto really didn't know what to say, but as soon as it slipped out of his mouth, he knew it didn't sound as stupid in his head.

"…_Yeah."_ There was an awkward pause that the brunet blamed himself for completely. _"…Anyway. So it may be a couple of hours 'til I get home after school. Ya know how Kankana likes talkin' t' new people."_

"You wouldn't mind if I got off early and came to join you?" Seto asked, frowning. "I need to talk to Soumya. I think it's important; perhaps something he didn't tell me or the book didn't explain."

"_Aw, you just wanna see the new babies that Akai and the girls have."_ Joey's voice was incredibly happy. _"I swear, Seto, they're so cute! Little Red-Eyes White Dragons and Blue-Eyes Black Dragons runnin' around everywhere-! Oh! __**And**__ they've got a couple of __**Purple**__-Eyes __**Grey**__ Dragons [1]! They're really cute! You should see 'em!"_

"…Ha… Right. I'll make sure to look in on them then." The brunet smiled a little. He hadn't realized until Joey had come back from a visit to Mythaven a while ago that the blond loved babies and children so much. Especially dragon babies. …Though that _would_ explain his affection for Joy…

"—_so hopefully you'll— Seto? Are ya listenin' t' me?"_

"What? Yes. Of course I am." Seto blinked, then frowned. "…What did you say after 'Grey Dragons?'"

"_I __**said**__ that we'll wait for ya at the game shop! Jeez, Seto, what's got ya so distracted, anyway? Where are ya?"_

The brunet tilted his head slightly. "…Watching small children play on the playground closest to my bulding?"

"_Oh. …Well, try not t' take too long on the way t' the game shop, okay? Because Téa really wants t' see a unicorn, and then we're introducin' her t'— Why do ya need t' see Soumya? How important is it?"_

"Ah… Not too important. I could probably hang around with you for a while before I make my antisocial self disappear, if that's what you're asking." He smiled a little when he heard the blond's playful giggle crackle over the line. "Of course, who knows how long I'll get to stay before the others beat me away from you, determined that I'm going to have sex with you no matter who's watching."

"_Don't __**say**__ stuff like that, ya pervert!"_

"_Joey? Is something wrong?"_

"_Ah—I gotta go, Seto! Lunch is gonna be over soon and I gotta eat!"_

Seto raised an eyebrow, still smiling. "Really? But I thought you had an hour and a half lunch, because you didn't need to take as many classes this year and you had a free period—"

"_What?! You're breakin' up! I can't hear ya!"_

The brunet chuckled softly as the other boy hung up and did the same, letting his head fall back. "I've got such a sweet puppy…"

He really needed to talk to Soumya about this obsessive possessiveness he had over his puppy, though. He had a feeling that this could lead to problems if it wasn't dealt with soon. He didn't want to embarrass Joey, or worse—hurt him.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey blushed brightly and quickly shut his phone. "Pervert!"

"What? Who are you talking about?"

The blond blushed even more and looked up at his friends quickly like a deer in the headlights. "…Seto, just… Sometimes he says such embarrassin' things!"

"…He mentioned something about having sex with you in Mythaven, didn't he?" Yugi asked, frowning. When his friend buried his face in his hands, he sighed. "I knew it. You have to get over that, Joey. Kaiba. Likes. _Sex._"

"Don't say that word it doesn't sound right comin' from ya!" Joey exclaimed, flailing about wildly.

Téa opened her mouth to scold him, then frowned. "…I won't lie, Yugi; it really doesn't sound right coming from you. …Or Ryou."

Tristan crossed his arms and nodded his agreement. "You and Ryou should be banned from cursing and saying words that make primary-school kids blush."

Ryou and Yugi glanced at each other skeptically. "…Right."

As if the others could dictate what they could and couldn't say.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

[1] It's all simple genetics; it's more likely to have Red-Eyes Various Body Color and Blue-Eyes Various Body Color dragon babies than it is to have a Purple-Eyes Gray Dragon. However, it _is_ possible. Yay! I actually did something with all that genetic crap I learned in biology!


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Oowaaaa! I got the next chapter out so fast! **:3** You all should love me.

Anyway, I would just like to point out that this is actually about six months after Mythaven. …I probably should have made that clear earlier… **.** See, Mythaven began at the beginning of summer vacation for them, and summer vacations (at least in US) is usually about three months, so… And I figure that if Joey's going to be pregnant, he wouldn't want to show the majority of it in school. **:**/ I'm just sayin'.

This chapter may be changed later. I feel as if I've forgotten something. I'll leave a note in the next chapter (along with an "edit" note on this one) if I do.

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

"…_He mentioned something about having sex with you in Mythaven, didn't he?" Yugi asked, frowning. When his friend buried his face in his hands, he sighed. "I knew it. You have to get over that, Joey. Kaiba. Likes. Sex."_

"_Don't say that word it doesn't sound right comin' from ya!" Joey exclaimed, flailing about wildly._

_Téa opened her mouth to scold him, then frowned. "…I won't lie, Yugi; it really doesn't sound right coming from you. …Or Ryou."_

_Tristan crossed his arms and nodded his agreement. "You and Ryou should be banned from cursing and saying words that make primary-school kids blush."_

_Ryou and Yugi glanced at each other skeptically. "…Right."_

_As if the others could dictate what they could and couldn't say._

Chapter 3

"…I thought he said he was getting off early to come with us…" Joey stated softly, frowning.

Yugi smiled weakly. "Maybe he got caught up at work."

"…Well…" The blond didn't look too sure, but then the door to the shop burst open and they were all shaken by a loud, furious roar.

Seto took a few deep breaths, trying to control his anger, then let out another roar. "I work with _IDIOTS!_"

As his second roar shook the building and sent tremors through the ones nearby, the darker halves hurriedly grabbed their beloveds and stood in front of them, to protect them from possible danger. Téa and Tristan both stood from their seats, ready to bolt, as neither of them had magic-wielding lovers to keep them safe.

Joey merely sighed and walked up to give him a light, chaste kiss on the lips. When his dragon only growled in response, he raised an eyebrow, then began to gently, lovingly, place kisses along his jaw and down his neck. "Seto…"

Seto's fangs began to recede again as the blond began nibbling his earlobe, and the glow in his eyes began to fade. He let out a long rumble of upset before letting his eyes flutter closed in favor of appreciating the touch his puppy was giving him. "Mmn…"

Once he was sure that the brunet wouldn't get angry again, the blond leaned back. "Why are your coworkers idiots, Seto?"

The glow in his eyes began to return. "The moment I tried to pack up to leave, three people just barge into my office, panicking and running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Apparently, some _moron_ had a beverage in where they weren't supposed to and spilled it on one of the mainframes. And it appears that half of the work they'd done for a new game was deleted. Do you know _why_ it was deleted?" he asked angrily, fangs extending again.

Joey frowned; he hadn't realized his mate was so pissed. "…Because they… didn't save it?"

"_Because they hadn't saved it!_" the brunet affirmed, throwing his arms up in frustration. "What sort of _morons_ do I have working for me?! I fired all three of the idiots that had disturbed me, but now I have to find someone to replace them now, which means I'll have to work more overtime because they were managing large projects so I have to interview the other members of their team and promote them—but then _that_ person has to be replaced, which _thank GOD_ I don't have to deal with, and—"

The younger boy cut him off with another kiss, longer and slightly wetter than the first. Leaning back, he gave the brunet a concerned look. "Do ya still wanna talk t' Soumya, then, Seto?"

Seto took a few deep breaths, then forced himself to calm down. "Yes. I would still like to talk to Soumya." He sighed in frustration and leaned his head into the other boy's neck. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so worked up."

"It's okay, sweetie." Joey smiled sweetly and gave him one last kiss, then patted his shoulder and turned back to the book lying innocently on the counter. "You're just upset. But! Now that you're here, we can go!"

The brunet blinked in surprise that the other boy had pulled away so soon, then sighed and trudged after him. The moment may not have lasted as long as he would have liked it to, but he wasn't going to complain; he needed to speak with Soumya too much for him to get upset over it.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Kankana groaned and fell to the ground. "Oh, no, you've got me! Aaagh…!"

The three dragon kits she'd been playing with squealed and began crawling on top of her, tails poking and prodding her in various places. She appeared to be dead, by all counts.

Until one well placed jab got her yelping. "Ow! Now that one really hurt!"

The kits squealed again and began waddling away quickly as Joy flew over and ushered them back to the den.

Kankana frowned and sat up, making sure she hadn't been poked too hard by a poison barb. Not that it would kill her; she'd just suffer vomiting for a few days. No, it was the pups in her belly she was checking for. Their tiny bodies—as big as they would be, considering both her size and Soumya's—wouldn't be able to handle it. That, and she'd built up an immunity to dragon poison, really. Akai had accidentally slapped her with his poison barb more than enough for that to happen.

Finding that she was still in prime condition, she stood, then limped over to the tiny yellow dragon currently squealing at the three kits in a scolding manner. She would never get over the amusement she felt when she saw such a small dragon scolding some kits that were about ten times his size. "No harm done. I'm okay."

Joy narrowed his eyes at her—again in a scolding manner. _"Keeneenee…"_

She couldn't help but feel like she'd done something bad on a rug under that stare. "Wha-aaaaaaaat?"

"You shouldn't be running around and doing such strenuous things," Soumya muttered, trotting out of the den (and seemingly mindless of the purple-eyed, gray kit that had latched onto his tail with its very sharp teeth). "You're going to give birth soon; you should be more careful. Just… don't do the stuff you normally do."

"You have a dragon baby attached to your butt," Kankana replied by way of answer, then huffed and stuck her nose up in the air. "I think _I'm_ more aware of what my body can and cannot do, thank you very—OhmiGodJoeyyou'rehere!"

Joey let out a yelp as was tackled to the ground. "Kankana-!"

The kirin's ears folded back in annoyance, but then he sighed in defeat. He knew it was basically hopeless to try and get her to stay still. She was a bit slower with the added weight of the puppies, but she wasn't any less active. It seemed like the coming of puppies had made her act even more like one herself.

The inugami stepped back, smiling brightly. "So, what did you bring me?"

"Whatta ya mean, what did I bring ya?! Ya think I have a chance to get ya somethin' every time I come?!" Joey exclaimed, glaring at her. When she merely tilted her head like a curious puppy, he sighed and pulled a box out of his bag. "Here."

Kankana felt herself drooling as he opened the box and began shoving her face in before he could get the lid completely out of the way. "Dango!"

Joy squealed in delight and zoomed over to bash into Seto's face, rubbing up against his cheek affectionately as he cooed. _"Seeto!"_

"…Hi, Joy," he sighed, reaching up to grasp him gently and pull him away from his face. "I know it's been a while since I've visited."

"_Meee!"_ The dragon squealed in delight and rubbed his face against the brunet's finger, undaunted by being pulled away from his initial greeting area.

Seto frowned at him, then turned and held him out to Téa. "This is Téa. Make her feel welcome." Then, he released him.

Joy took his job seriously. However, all people and creatures present were surprised (and Joey horrified) when he nestled between her breasts and cooed. _"Tee!"_

…It's a good thing he was cute, Joey decided, or else the dragon would have gotten slapped to the other side of Mythaven.

Téa squealed in delight and grasped him in her hands gently. "Aren't you just the _cutest!_ I could just eat you up!"

The tiny dragon smiled his open-mouthed smile. _"Mee! Tee! Meetee!"_

"…I think he likes you, Téa," Yugi commented, smiling at her.

"_Meet! Mee meet!"_

"…I don't think you can mate with a human," Seto stated, then plucked the dragon out of her hands. "Come on, Joy."

The Petit Dragon squealed in distress as he was taken away from his intended. _"Mee meet! Mee meeeeeeet!"_

Téa really didn't know what to make of all of this—she _totally_ wasn't going to be the dragon's mate—but he looked so heart-broken. Leaning down and smiling sweetly, she explained, "I can't be your mate, Joy; I have a boyfriend already. But how about we be just good friends, okay?"

Joy tilted his head, seriously pondering what she'd said, then smiled and nodded. _"Geed freends!"_

Seto wasn't sure whether or not that would be encouraging the little dragon, but he decided that Téa could handle herself. …She _was_ the one saying they could be geed freends. Sighing, he released Joy; he wondered how long Téa would like Joy as he settled himself on her chest again. "…Anyway. Soumya, I need to talk to you."

Soumya tilted his head in surprise, then nodded. "Alright. Let's go for a walk." His eyes narrowed as his mate perked up. "You're staying here and waiting for Jace to come see Joey to see if he's pregnant yet." When her eyes began to fill with tears—he damned her sensitivity during this pregnancy—he sighed. "I'll send the franks."

She immediately cheered up at that. "Make sure that Tlipo's with them!"

His ears folded back in frustration, and he mumbled something about bipolar mates and how he was glad her pregnancy was almost over as he began walking away. However, he did answer her with an obedient, "Yes, dear."

Seto raised an eyebrow but moved to follow him. "I'll be back soon, puppy."

"Okay. I'll tell ya what the unicorn says when ya come back!" the blond called after him, waving, then frowned. "I thought maybe he'd stay."

"He must need to talk to Soumya about something important," Ryou commented softly, then smiled up at him. "We're here, though."

"Soumya! You still have a baby dragon on your butt!" Kankana shrieked, then limped after them hurriedly. "Akai's gonna be mad if you lose one of the kits! …Not to mention the girls!"

There was silence for all of five seconds before the humans began to laugh.

.-.-.-.-.-.

After making sure that Kankana could handle the kit—it _had_ been reluctant to let go of his tail—Soumya turned toward the Dragon Master, frowning. "What's wrong?"

Seto crossed his arms and sighed. "…I've… been having problems lately, I think."

The kirin raised a brow. "You think?"

"I don't know… I mean, it could be normal, but I'm not sure." The brunet rubbed the back of his head, brows furrowing together in both concern and uncertainty. "I just… I can't… I've been feeling things lately."

"…So I'm no expert on human emotions, but I can assume they're close to mine. I can guarantee that feeling things is normal, Seto," Soumya stated, smiling wryly. "Just spit it out, Seto. I didn't judge you before and I'm not going to judge you now."

Sighing, the brunet took a few moments to gather his thoughts, then began to explain. "I know you had me read that book, and you've explained some things to me. I know that sires are possessive of their mates, and they're very aggressive. But lately, I've been… outrageously so? I don't know…"

The dragon-deer sat down, nodding patiently. "Give me an example."

Seto sat down as well, running his fingers through his hair anxiously. "…I had a dream the other day. Joey was having sex with someone else. It was someone we both know, but I know for a fact that Joey doesn't like him, and Joey isn't the type of person to cheat on me. But… I just… I was so… I was so _angry._ I had no reason to be, and the anger just wouldn't go away. I thought it did for a little while, but then…"

"…But then…?" Soumya urged, raising his brows.

The brunet sighed and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands; he was beginning to get a headache. "…But then I found out that Joey hadn't told me something and I'd been doing a whole lot of research for nothing. I spanked him. I had no right to do that, but I spanked him. And I've been feeling so angry and jealous all the time." Seto looked up at him and frowned. "I don't have a reason to feel that way. I've got a good mate. He's loyal and he's going to carry our babies. He's my puppy. Why do I feel this way?"

The kirin tilted his head, frowning thoughtfully. "…I'm not sure. That's definitely not normal. Is there anything else?"

"I've been more irritable lately, I guess. Something minor—well, as minor as things get that I have to deal with—happened at work today, and I was so angry I almost shook Yugi's game shop to pieces. I normally wouldn't have gotten so mad." He sighed and leaned his head back against the tree he was sitting in front of. "Joey tried to calm me down, but when he asked what had made me so angry, I… I just got angry again. I'm not angry right now… Why is that…?"

Soumya eyed the boy for a few moments, eyes narrowed in thought, before he nodded. "I won't lie. This is not normal. However, it's not entirely bizarre."

"…Thank you?"

"Some Dragon Masters have anxiety attacks when away from their mates—you know that already—but other Dragon Masters become more irritable when not in contact with dragons regularly. You haven't been here in a while. Perhaps you're irritable because of that," he explained, sighing.

Seto frowned. "Soumya, I've got too much on my plate to be coming here everyday like Joey does. Not having schoolwork helps, but I _do_ have a lot of other work at Kaiba Corp., and I like to spend my free time with Joey. I don't—"

The kirin rolled his eyes. "I realize this. However, I believe I know someone who can help you; she can go with you to your world, be in constant contact with you. If that doesn't help with your irritability, then it must be something else—something worse."

The brunet didn't like the sound of that ominous 'something worse,' but there was really nothing he could do about it. However, he was more concerned with this 'she' that Soumya was speaking of. "Who?"

"Her name is Codi. She's a Petit Dragon like Joy, so she won't be too obtrusive," Soumya explained. "In fact, people will barely notice her. She's… well… She's not as… _exuberant_ as Joy. She's more subdued."

Seto sighed. "Oh, thank God. I don't think I could hide Joy from the media if I tried. He'd like the attention too much."

The dragon-deer nodded a little. "Yes, Codi is shyer than Joy is. She'll stay hidden if you ask her to."

The brunet hoped that having a girl around would also help with dealing with Joey later in his pregnancy. He had no idea how he was going to deal with him like that.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Well, Joey, I'm happy to say you're finally pregnant," Jace stated, smiling.

He couldn't help smiling, really; after all, unicorns did like pretty girls _[1]_, and he had not only a girl fawning over him, but also two boys that were almost entirely light; there was little darkness in them. To top that off, he'd just informed the Golden One that he was pregnant, which he'd been hoping for every day that he'd come. Life couldn't be better, in his opinion, and when he sensed the happiness of all four humans swelling, he was reminded just why he enjoyed having the amazing powers that he did.

Joey laughed as all three of his friends immediately hugged him and tried frantically to hug them back, but he found his arms pinned to his sides. "No way! Seto and I are gonna have kids! Can you believe it?!"

"Oh, Joey, I'm so happy for you!"

"You're gonna be a great mom, I know it!"

"I'm glad you're happy, Joey!"

As if on cue, a tidal wave of brightly colored franks poured forth from the forest, mewing happily to see the Golden One.

Téa squealed. "Oh my gosh, they're so _cute!_"

The franks stopped and stared at her with large, wary eyes, but then they began rubbing up against her and jumping up to rest on her shoulders, knocking each other off in the process to get closer to this new person. Joy began squealing at them angrily, possessive of his new friend, and started diving at them like an angry bird protecting its nest.

Ryou cooed as he found the blue leader frank and picked her up. "Joey told me all about giving you a gender! I'm so happy for you!" The frank mewled and wriggled happily in his arms.

Joey smiled brightly as he found Tlipo walking up and exclaimed, "Tlipo, I'm pregnant!"

The chupacabra looked up at him in surprise, then tilted his head. "'ey man, I'm glad. Lots of Golden Ones don't take the first time, you know?"

"Really?" The blond tilted his head in surprise. "I didn't. You're not jokin' with me, are ya?"

"Maybe eet's because you deed eet for Frankie first." The hairless dog chuckled as the blue frank mewled in affection. "She's due een a few months, we think. We don't really know, though; she's the first frank that can have keeds."

Yugi looked up at his friend and blinked innocently. "Hey, Joey, how did you know how to give someone a female reproductive system, anyway?"

At this, Joey's face began burning in embarrassment, and he felt like hiding under a rock. "Well, I… I just…" His cheeks turned a darker shade of red when not only Ryou and Téa turned their attention on him in interest, but Tlipo and Jace as well—which got all of the franks staring at him, too. "…I stayed awake in health, okay!?"

Ryou stared at him for a few moments before stating, "…The teachers really didn't go into detail about female reproductive systems, Joey. They sort of skimmed it and went on to teach us about our own bodies."

"Yeah, we didn't really learn much about guys either," Téa commented, raising an eyebrow expectantly.

The blond stomped his foot in frustration. "I have a little sister, okay?! I needed t' learn this stuff in case she asked me things! Which she _did!_ I dunno why when she could've just asked Mom, but she _did!_ I got a book! Okay?!"

"Got a book about what?" Kankana asked, dragging herself back into view. "Urgh, get it off…" The dragon kit clutching her long, fluffy tail squealed as he saw the franks and waddled over to begin batting at the dozens of pompom tails. She narrowed her eyes in frustration, then sighed and looked up at the blond again. "Right. Got a book about what?"

"Reproduction systems," Ryou answered, seeing that the blond had buried his face in his hands and probably wouldn't look up for a while. "Female ones."

"…Ah." She raised a brow, but she decided that she shouldn't question the Golden One. …Especially since he looked about to have heat stroke. When a frank bleated in distress—the kit had bitten its tail too hard—she scowled angrily and roared, "_JOY!_ You're supposed to be minding the kits!"

Joy squealed in startlement as he spun to face her, then gasped when he saw the dragon gnawing on the frank's tail; it didn't know that a frank, if eaten, could claw its way out of its belly. Scowling sternly, he flew over and began screeching loudly in disapproval. The kit looked up at him with big, watery purple eyes. The Petit Dragon, however, was not easily swayed, and so he began ushering him back toward the den, shrilling and shrieking the entire distance until all they could hear was echoes from inside the den.

Once the dragon's screeches had faded, Yugi snorted. "I won't lie, Téa. Joy seems sort of like a creeper."

"But he's a _cute_ creeper," the dancer replied, smiling brightly.

A few moments later, attention was drawn to the loud sound of flapping, and then four loud roars that had the humans falling to the ground, Kankana stumbling and bonking her nose on a tree, and Jace losing his footing for a second.

Akai blinked as he landed, then smiled brightly. _**"Ah, I see someone's late for his check-up today!"**_

"Shut up! I was busy this mornin'!" Joey exclaimed, smiling, as he slapped the dragon's arm.

The black dragon wasn't exactly sure he felt it, but he saw it, and it's really the thought that counts. Giving the blond a small shove with his tail, he chuckled as he squawked and fell over again. _**"So—"**_ He nearly squawked himself when he was shoved out of the way by his three eager mates. _**"Ack!"**_

"_**Did it happen? Are you pregnant?"**_

"_**Are we expecting baby Golden Ones yet?"**_

"_**Don't be silly; they'll be baby Dragon Masters!"**_

Joey blushed as the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons began nuzzling him and licking him in greeting. "I— Yeah, I am." He winced as the dragons shrieked their joy and let out a yelp as Kisara grasped him in her tail gently. "K-Kisara-!"

"_**I'm so **__happy__** for you, Joey!"**_ she cooed, rubbing her face against his. _**"Seto will be a good father, I'm sure of it!"**_

"Ah—I think he will too! …Please put me down."

The Blue-Eyes pouted and looked like they just might say no, but then Akai had plucked the blond from Kisara's grasp and gently placed him on the ground. _**"Let's let **__Joey__** tell Kaiba he's pregnant. It's really none of our business."**_ When they looked like they might complain, he gave them a stern glare. _**"Let's go make sure the kits didn't commit mutiny while we were gone again."**_

The females were in the den faster than one could say 'oh, snap.' Which Joey did. Because he remembered the last time the kits had committed mutiny, and it had ended with Joy covered in dragon snot and stuck to a wall, his little voice hoarse from shrieking.

"…It was sort of like watching a bunch of older sisters happy for their baby sister," Téa commented, to which Ryou and Yugi nodded sagely.

The blond glared at them. "Who ya callin' a girl?!"

"_You,_ Mr. Pregnant."

"Hey!"

It appeared at that moment that everyone was coming to them—first the franks, then the dragons, and now Seto and Soumya. Seto raised an eyebrow in confusion and crossed his arms. "What's up? You look angry."

"They're makin' fun of me!" Joey exclaimed, pointing at his friends and scowling. As if just remembering _why_ they'd been making fun of him, he blushed a little and rubbed the back of his head. "Um…"

"…Private time!" Ryou exclaimed, gathering up a few more franks before turning to run into the den. Yugi and Téa were quick to follow with their own armfuls of franks. The rest of the franks followed quickly, yowling—though Tlipo, at least, traveled silently and at a more sedate pace.

Kankana tilted her head as her mate nudged her in the direction of the den. "Wha-aaat?"

"They're going to have a private moment." Soumya frowned at her. "That means just the two of them."

"Aw, I don't see why—" she began, but then the unicorn had ducked his head and slipped it beneath her waist. "_Aiyeeee!_"

Jace smiled at him brightly. "I've got her."

The kirin sighed and trudged after him as the other creature trotted away (his mate protesting with each bounce). "If you just _did_ as I told you the first time…"

Seto blinked in confusion, then turned his attention back to the blond. "Joey? What's going on?"

"Well…" Joey blushed again and moved closer to reach up and grab his hands. "…I guess…"

The brunet tilted his head as the smaller boy squeezed his hands tentatively, then leaned in to press a quick kiss to his forehead; his mate was cute when he looked nervous. "Please tell me."

"…Seto…" Joey took a few deep breaths, then looked up at him, smiling. "We did it. I'm pregnant." The Dragon Master blinked at him for a few moments before it really began to sink in. The blond frowned in concern when he felt the other boy's hands going slack, but then his eyes rolled back and he began to understand. "Ack-! Seto, no! _Eep!_"

He tried to catch him, but Seto was heavy (even heavier with his stupid leather trench coat), so they both ended up on the ground. It took a few more minutes for him to completely figure out what had just happened. However, when he finally did realize, he let out a shout of frustration and pounded on the other boy's shoulders.

"_Seto Kaiba! Ya knew we were tryin' t' get pregnant! How __**dare**__ ya faint on me!_"

Yugi peeked out of the den, frowning. "Well, that didn't work out the way we thought it would."

"We should probably go help him," Ryou commented, sighing softly. "…Poor Joey…"

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Joey, I'm really sorry," Seto pleaded, trying to get the blond to look at him, and grasped his hands tightly. "I didn't think I'd actually faint; I'm _so_ sorry, puppy!"

The younger boy looked away from him sharply, scowling. "Humph!"

"Joey! Please! Sweetie! I'm sorry!" the brunet exclaimed, brows drawing together worriedly, before he reached up to grab the other boy's chin and force him to look down at him. He felt even more worry and horror claw at him when he saw the angry tears that had formed in his lover's eyes. "Joey…"

Joey glared at him angrily. "Ya _knew_ we were tryin' t' get pregnant. Ya _wanted_ me t' get pregnant. And then ya just _fainted_ on me! Do ya know how bad that makes me feel?!" He hurriedly rubbed at his eyes to try and get rid of the tears; he knew the brunet failed to function properly when he saw them. "I-I thought ya _wanted_ kids-!"

"I do! Really! I do want kids." Seto reached up to stroke his cheek with his thumb gently. "I'm sorry, Joey. I didn't mean to upset you. I don't know why I fainted. Please forgive me?"

He wished he could stay angry, but he could tell that the other boy was sincere. Sighing loudly, he sniffled and looked away from him. "…Fine. But ya owe me something special." He scowled. "And isn't sex!"

The brunet smiled at him in relief. "I'll make sure to do something _really_ special, Jo-_ow!_"

Joey frowned. "I think he's teething, guys."

Kisara scowled and caught the little grey dragon by the tail, rumbling in disapproval. _**"Ibia!"**_ The kit whined and released the brunet's leg.

"_**Kits don't teeth this early. She's just troublemaker,"**_ Akai stated, then patted the Dragon Master on the head with his tail. _**"Sorry about that."**_

Seto growled and rubbed the top of his head but mumbled something along the lines of 'it's okay.' It had hurt, but he was sure that if he wanted to, the dragon could have just hit his head off like a baseball.

"Ahn, Seto, Codi's here," Soumya stated, trotting into the den.

Joey looked up in interest and gasped when he saw the tiny yellow dragon drifting behind the kirin, covering his mouth. "Petit-! Girl!"

Codi squeaked, brows furrowing together in fear, and dove into the dragon-deer's mane, leaving nothing but a quivering mass of hair in her wake. _"Mee!"_

Seto sighed and reached into the kirin's hair to pull her out. "Don't worry, Codi. Joey overreacts on a daily basis."

"She's so cute! Codi, can I cuddle ya?" the blond exclaimed, holding his arms out pleadingly.

Not even Codi could resist those big brown eyes. Letting out a soft squeak of uncertainty, she squirmed out of the older teen's hands and drifted over to him. The blond smiled brightly and hugged her—gently, of course, because he could tell how skittish she was, but he was _hugging_ her!

Codi blinked as she saw another Petit Dragon chasing after some kits, then squeaked and looked away from him quickly. Seto noticed. A plan would have to be made for this.

But onto other things.

"Joey? Can we go home now?" Ryou asked softly, fidgeting. "I have the bad feeling that Bakura and Yami might kill each other soon…"

Yugi nodded quickly. "Yami can only handle Bakura so long."

"What?! Right! Sorry! Let's go!" Joey exclaimed quickly, standing, only to whine as the dragon was plucked out of his hands. "Seto-!"

The brunet settled her inside the collar of his coat, making sure she was hidden at least partially; he didn't intend to let anyone take a second look to make sure their imaginations weren't tricking them. "You can only pull off the 'yellow tumor' look so often, puppy."

"Hey!"

"AGH, the feeling is getting worse!" Ryou wailed, tugging at his hair.

Joey would have argued, but his friends took priority right now and he really didn't feel like helping them clean blood off of the walls of the game shop, so he grabbed his friends and threw them into the portal first.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

[1] It's the whole "unicorn hunt where he's caught by the virgin" thing. **:3** Lol, unicorn likes jailbait (because Téa's still under eighteen. **:p**). Jace makes me giggle.

I just realized! I made Téa like Mythaven's bitch! D**:** Joy wants her, Jace has taken a liking to her, the franks want to maul her… Then again, the franks want to maul everyone. Maybe they shouldn't count. **:x**


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Man, I'm just cranking these out. You guys should love me to pieces. But then, that leads to…

OH MY GOD! You're all gonna kill me! D**:** When you get to the end, you will wish I would die. And then you'll realize that if I die, you'll never see what happens. And that will make you even angrier. I'm sorry in advance. If it makes you feel better, I make myself angry. -_-**;**

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Yugi nodded quickly. "Yami can only handle Bakura so long."_

"_What?! Right! Sorry! Let's go!" Joey exclaimed quickly, standing, only to whine as the dragon was plucked out of his hands. "Seto-!"_

_The brunet settled her inside the collar of his coat, making sure she was hidden at least partially; he didn't intend to let anyone take a second look to make sure their imaginations weren't tricking them. "You can only pull off the 'yellow tumor' look so often, puppy."_

"_Hey!"_

"_AGH, the feeling is getting worse!" Ryou wailed, tugging at his hair._

_Joey would have argued, but his friends took priority right now and he really didn't feel like helping them clean blood off of the walls of the game shop, so he grabbed his friends and threw them into the portal first._

Chapter 4

Joey sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Seto had been at the office all day. He'd promised to come home and spend some time with him, but… he'd probably gotten caught up at work. Well, at least he could honestly say that Seto wasn't as irritable as he had been, which was a plus, he supposed. If only he got to experience it when he wasn't dog-tired from work…

_tap tap tap_

He blinked in surprise, then turned, confused. "…Codi?"

Indeed, the little yellow dragon was hovering outside his window, a rose clasped in her mouth with a note hanging from it. He stood up and walked over to the window, then opened it and reached out to grab the rose. The dragon smiled shyly before flying past him into the room. She squeaked happily as she found his bed unmade and decidedly messy, then flew under the covers, making herself unseen.

Joey blinked at her again for a moment, then smiled and chuckled softly. "You're so weird Codi." Looking back at rose, he tilted his head and read the note.

_Look down._

"Huh?" Confused, the blond leaned out the window to look down, then gasped softly and covered his mouth. "Oh!"

Seto smiled at him sweetly and lifted the rest of the bouquet up slightly. "Something special that isn't sex. You like spaghetti, right?"

"Of _course_ I like spaghetti, ya stupid-!" Joey laughed and shook his head. "And my friends think you're unromantic!"

The brunet tilted his head innocently, though the smirk on his face undermined any hope of looking innocent. "Now who says I'm being romantic right now?"

"Well, the table for two with candles on it and the plate of spaghetti seem to be romantic. And you're holdin' a bouquet of roses, on top of it." The blond smiled and leaned his arms on the windowsill. "I'd say that's _pretty_ romantic, Seto."

Seto raised an eyebrow and laid the bouquet in one of the two chairs, then placed his hands on his hips. "Well are you just going to look at it or are you going to come down and partake in this?"

At this, the younger boy blushed a little. "…Ya know I get lost in the garden… It's so big…"

"Jump then. I'll catch you." The brunet smiled slightly when the other teen squawked in disbelief, then held his arms out. "You're only on the second story. I can catch you."

"No! You're crazy and we're both gonna get hurt!" Joey exclaimed, crossing his arms and scowling at him. "How 'm I gonna explain this t' my friends when I come int' school with a broken leg on Monday?! 'Oh, yeah, I jumped out a window. But don't worry, it's not too bad compared t' both of Seto's _broken ARMS!_'" He shook his head vehemently. "No!"

Seto sighed, then rolled his eyes. "Fine, then I'll come and get you."

"Ya want me t' go wait by the door then or—_Eep!_" The blond blushed as he watched the CEO shedding his shirt, then scowled. "Just whatta ya think you're doin'?!"

"I'm coming to get you," the brunet replied, laying his shirt over the back of the chair. "So just stay there."

"_Nyeek_ alright alright alright!" Joey exclaimed, waving his hands frantically. He was _not_ in the mood to watch his skin rip just to get his wings out. "I'll jump! Just… don't do that!"

Seto looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because I can come get you—"

"_No!_ I'll jump!" The blond hesitantly sat down on the windowsill, then looked back at his boyfriend. "…Ya promise you'll catch me?"

"Why would I let you fall? You'd get hurt. You're carrying out baby, remember?" The older boy smiled at him and held his arms out. "Just trust me, puppy."

Joey hesitated for a few more minutes before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Then, he slid off the windowsill and into space. "Meep!"

Seto growled softly to himself—he get a _great_ view of the blond's ass from down here—then hastily leaned forward and caught him. It would not do, he decided, if he actually _did_ let the blond hit the ground; he doubted he would get any 'puppy wuvins' for a while if he did that.

The younger boy yipped as he fell into the brunet's arms and quickly threw his arms around his neck. "Aha-! Never ever again!" he exclaimed, only to find his tirade cut off when the brunet's warm mouth covered his. He mewled softly, then quickly turned his head away, scowling. "Ya made me jump out a window!"

"I hardly _made_ you do anything," the CEO commented, frowning, but set him in the open seat nonetheless. Reaching over for the bouquet, he set it in the blond's lap and added, "I was quite willing to come and get you, remember?"

Joey frowned in concern. "But Seto, every time ya make your wings come out, it rips your skin open. It _has_ t' be painful, right?"

Seto sat down across from him, frowning thoughtfully. "Well, I guess it is, initially. But I've gotten used to it."

"How often do ya—" the blond began, looking horrified, but then the older boy had reached across the table and pressed a finger to his lips. Brows drawing together in trepidation, he heaved a frustrated sigh.

The brunet sighed as well. "Often enough that I'm used to it. Sometimes, late at night when I can't sleep, I'll take a flight over the grounds. It's hard to sleep without—" He cut himself off abruptly, then forced a smile. "Our food is going to get cold."

Joey blinked at him in confusion, then opened his mouth to ask what was wrong. He closed it again a moment later and sighed, then looked down at his plate. He knew that before they'd been sucked into the book, Seto had been a very private person—almost obsessively so—and didn't like to share weaknesses. However, he'd hoped… that maybe Seto could learn to trust him?

Seto frowned as he noticed the blond picking at his food, even though he knew he'd usually scarf it down. Sighing, he set down his fork and ran a hand through his hair. "…It's a dragon thing, Joey. Sires like to be close to their dames. I… I know I can hug you, and cuddle you whenever I want, but… it's not the same as curling around you at night, protecting you, knowing that you're safe. I know you tied the bells to the window and door, so I'd hear it, but that's just not good enough for my psyche. So I go out and prowl the grounds to make sure nothing can get _close_ enough to get to your window and door."

The blond blinked in confusion, then frowned. "Why didn't ya _tell_ me? Ya must've known that I'd let ya in bed with me if ya did."

Seto shook his head, smiling a little now. "If I did that, you'd feel obligated, and you know it. I want you to invite me to your bed. You'll do that when your ready."

Joey blushed a little and looked down at his food, brows furrowing together slightly. "And people say you're not romantic!"

"…I'm not. I'm the most unromantic person in the world." The brunet scowled at him. "And if you go around bragging to your friends how _unromantic_ I am, I'm going to get very upset."

The blond rolled his eyes and shoved a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth. "Please, I'll spill this t' Yug' as soon as I get to a phone."

"…You traitor."

"I'm just sayin', this isn't bad publicity or anything!" the younger boy cried, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Ya underestimate your fan girls, Seto!"

"I do not."

"Ya do too!" Joey scowled when the brunet opened his mouth to argue further, then shoved a meatball into his mouth so he couldn't. "I win. Allow me t' enjoy my special, ya asshole!"

Seto blinked in surprise, then snorted and looked away from him, choosing instead to chew the mass of meat in his mouth. "Humph."

.-.-.-.-.-.

"That is _so_ not fair!"

Bakura nearly jumped off the couch. Ryou rarely raised his voice, so this meant something big was happening. Standing, he went to the kitchen doorway and peeked inside in confusion. "Hikari? Is everything okay?"

Ryou turned to face him sharply, surprised, then blushed a little. This was soon followed by an angry scowl. "_Kaiba_ just had dinner for two with Joey with _roses_ and everything! He even had Codi send up a little card telling him to look down and see it!" He flailed his arms about in frustration. "It was _candlelit!_ Bakura, they had a _candlelit_ dinner! Why can't you be romantic like that?!"

"Wha-!?"

"_And not only that, but Kaiba even told him that he couldn't sleep without him by his side! How romantic is that?! Why can't __**our**__ boyfriends do that!?"_ Ah, that was Yugi.

This required retreat.

"Bakura! I wasn't finished talking to you! _Bakura!_" Ryou shouted as the other boy ran out of the house. "You jerk! I hope you're not planning on getting laid tonight!" When even that failed to bring his boyfriend back, he sighed in frustration and crossed his arms, turning toward the speaker phone angrily. "Why is it that our boyfriends can think up the best strategies for a stupid card game but they can never come up with a romantic date?"

"_I don't know, but it's really starting to tick me off that __**Joey**__ got the romantic boyfriend when Kaiba hasn't been sweet to anyone but his brother in his whole life!"_

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto flapped toward the mansion again, intent on checking up on his lover one last time before trying to sleep again; Codi had opted to sleep on his bedside table, beneath the lamp. Landing gently on the blond's sill, he grabbed onto the side to keep from losing his balance and falling. But, his view of the blond was obstructed. Right where his head should be was instead… a pink sticky-note shaped like a heart?

_The rocking chair is pretty comfortable._

The brunet flapped his wings a few times in confusion, then looked down to see the window opened a crack. Wedging his fingers beneath the window, he slid it open, then slipped into the blond's room, cursing softly as his wings banged against it on the way. He pulled his wings back into his body, cringing a little, then turned and shut the window again; it was a little chilly outside.

Turning back to the bed and the boy cuddled up in it, he felt his heart melt. The blond had pulled the rocking chair up as close to the bed as it could be, allowing him to be as close to the bed without actually _being_ in bed with him. He wasn't giving him exactly what he wanted, but… he was allowing him closer than he had been.

Seto wasn't going to pass this chance up, so he sank into the rocking chair, which he actually found surprisingly comfortable. He rocked in it a few times, pleased, but stopped immediately when Joey began moving. The blond moved around for a few minutes, growling, then turned and landed on his side, huffing. Seto watched to see what was wrong, then reached out to gently brush his hair out of his face. A few moments later, he leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead before he leaned back, crossed his arms, and settled himself down to sleep. He'd be amazed that next morning to find it only took him a few minutes.

Once his breath had evened out, a pair of brown eyes peeked up at him before Joey sat up, smiling. He leaned in to place a kiss on his lips before taking the duvet from the foot of his bed and spreading it over him. "Sweet dreams, dragon."

The brunet heaved a content sigh, then began to purr. "Mm… Puppy…"

Joey giggled and gave him another kiss before he snuggled under his covers again. "Silly Dragon Master."

.-.-.-.-.-.

Codi sighed and wiggled her way into the Golden One's room, sensing the Dragon Master there. She flew over to go wake him up while hopefully not disturbing the other boy; Seto had said he wanted to get up early so he could finish up some work and take the day off for his puppy.

She gasped as she saw a large, dark looming figure over the Golden One, its beady red eyes trained on his belly where the baby would form, then let out a shrill shriek. _"JOY-EEEEEEE!"_

Seto snapped awake and looked around in confusion, instinctively grabbing for his mate. Joey's eyes fluttered for a moment before he groaned softly and let his head fall against his shoulder. "Seto…"

The brunet dipped his head and shushed him. "Shhh… Just sleep, puppy…" Once he was certain that the other boy would stay asleep, he looked up at the tiny dragon in confusion. "Codi? What's wrong?"

Codi gave the far corner of the room a dirty glare—the dark creature had immediately retreated there when she'd screamed—then flew over to curl up in a ball on the blond's chest. _"Meee…"_ She growled protectively—very cute, with her tiny voice, of course—and didn't take her eyes off of the threat.

Seto frowned in confusion, then went to place the blond back in bed. However, when the dragon gave him a dirty look, he sighed and stood up to carry the blond to his room. He'd finish his beauty sleep in his bed.

Codi glared at the far corner with even more intensity when the beady red eyes followed the blond out. She'd do her best to continue helping the Dragon Master while at the same time protecting his dame.

Just after he'd finished tucking him in (he was sure fussy with the blankets, Codi noted), his phone began to ring, and he hurriedly snatched it up before Joey could wake, see him tucking him in, and freak out, screaming that he was taking his perversion to a whole new level. "Kaiba."

"_Mr. Kaiba, there are two gentlemen here at the gate asking to see you. I'd send them away or call the police, but one of them has threatened to 'mind-crush' me. Does your insurance cover mind-crushing?"_

Groaning, the brunet pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn't even five-thirty yet and he had crazy ghosts at his gate. "Just… let them in. I was expecting this; just not at five in the morning."

"_Yes, Mr. Kaiba."_

Seto wondered whether or not he'd be able to get the work he wanted done finished with Yami and Bakura here, then decided he just didn't care enough about them; he'd wanted this day with his lover and he'd be damned if he didn't get it all because of them. …He should get to the door quickly or else he was going to find himself in need of a new one. Grabbing his laptop and a shoving a bunch of reports he needed to read into a folder, he hurried downstairs.

He got there just in time to see the door shaking on its hinges. Scowling, he opened it. "This had better be good!"

"What are we doing _wrong?!_" Bakura cried in frustration, reaching forward to grab his shirt and shake him. "Why is _you?!_ _WHY!?_"

Seto raised an eyebrow, then lifted a hand to pry him off. "Let go of me, you moron. What the hell are you talking about?"

"What the tomb robber would _like_ to say—" Yami began, stepping on the albino's foot. "—Is that we would like to know how you come up with 'romantic' ideas to spend time with Joey? Because we… find ourselves at a loss there."

"…I have no idea what you're talking about," the brunet replied, turning to head for the living room; he had a feeling they'd follow. They were too stubborn to accept that half-assed answer.

He was right.

"Don't walk away from me!" Bakura exclaimed angrily, stomping after him.

Yami sighed and shut the door, but also followed him. "Kaiba, if you just answered honestly the first time…"

Seto rolled his eyes and booted up his laptop, then pulled out one of the reports he grabbed and began to skim it, to see if it needed his absolute attention. He wasn't going to waste his time and effort because some idiot wanted to actually write a report on the color of the glue used to fasten some of the pieces on the new duel disk. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a completely unromantic person." He glanced at his laptop as the two yamis sputtered in disbelief (and Bakura in anger) and typed in a web address, then turned it to face them and reached for another report, because the one he'd been skimming was _totally_ a waste of his time. …He'd pawn it off on an underling.

Both of their jaws dropped a little in incredulity. Yami's eye twitched. "'…_Romantic ideas dot com [1]_?'" he asked, brows furrowing together. "They have a freakin' _website_ for this?!"

The brunet pulled out a pen and began scribbling down a few other websites. "Google is really the best sometimes. Just type in 'romantic ideas' and you'll find a load of ideas." He paused, hand hovering above the paper, before he glanced back up at them uneasily. "…But you have to put your own twists on any idea you find. If Yugi or Ryou find out you just copied someone else, they're going to be hurt that you couldn't think up something original. If they ever _do_ happen to find the idea you used and you _have_ put your twist on it, you can say, 'Well, I thought it was a good idea, but then I realized I had to change it a little so it could be special for _you._' They'll melt for sure."

"I _knew_ ya weren't romantic!" Bakura crowed, snatching the paper out of his hand. "Thanks, Kaiba!"

"Don't forget what I said about changing some things!" Seto called after him.

Yami sighed and stood. "Well, I suppose I better go pick up some flowers for my aibou," he mumbled, reaching for his own list of websites. "Thanks, Kaiba."

The brunet tilted his head slightly as the other man walked away, then called out, "Get him a burger or two instead. Remind him that you're his lover and as such can remember his favorite food."

The former-spirit paused in the doorway, then nodded slowly. "Thanks, Kaiba."

Seto smirked and leaned back in his chair, chuckling softly. He now had something to hold over them, which would help if he ever… needed a favor, or something along those lines. Once he was sure the front door had closed, the brunet began to cackle in a way reminiscent of his pre-Death-T days.

Yami shivered slightly and glanced back at the door. _'Why do I feel as if I just sold my soul to the devil?'_

.-.-.-.-.-.

Ryou scowled as he heard the front door open and huddled deeper in his cocoon of blankets, shoving another spoonful of ice-cream in his mouth. He resolutely turned his head away when he felt the couch sink as his lover sat down, and when the former-spirit touched him, he flinched away.

And then he heard a soft _'ow!'_

Turning his head sharply, he gasped as he found a _grey-blue [2]_ kitten sitting on his lover's lap, looking confused and upset. Then, it opened its tiny mouth again. _"Ow!"_

He knew for a fact that Bakura had never wanted a pet. He believed that it would cut into his time alone with him. So why did he have what he referred to as 'Ra's Minions of Evil' (apparently, he'd had a bad experience in a tomb once) in his lap? It made no sense. No sense whatsoever!

"…Bakura, what is this?" he asked softly, looking up at him in confusion.

Bakura looked away momentarily, then hurriedly shoved the kitten onto his lap. "…I know you like the franks in that stupid book, but since they never go anywhere without each other, it would be stupid to bring when here. …So I got you the next best thing."

Ryou blinked down at the kitten for a few moments, then smiled, turned, and leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek. "So you _do_ know how to be romantic."

"…His name is Storm, 'cause he looks like a storm cloud," the former thief added, and the younger boy laughed softly and kissed him again, though he aimed for his lips instead.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Yugi blinked as a bag from Burger World was dropped in front of him, then looked up in confusion. "Yami?"

"I was on my way back from my walk and decided to pick something up for you on the way home, as an apology for not being as romantic as you want me to be," Yami replied, then kissed his forehead.

The younger boy blinked again. "…You don't have to apologize for that, Yami. You're just not a romantic person." He smiled brightly. "But thanks for the food! I'm happy that you remembered my favorite!"

The former pharaoh scowled and placed his hands on his hips. "I can be a romantic person! Just watch me!"

Yugi raised an eyebrow at him, somehow pulling off Kaiba's 'you've-gotta-be-kidding-me-you-really-are-weird' look with his adorable face. "So it's a challenge now?"

"You're darn right it's a challenge!"

"…Right." Sighing, the formerly _normal_ high-school student began pulling burgers and fries out of the bag in front of him. "Okay, fine. You have a chance every Friday at nine o'clock when we get back from a double-date with Kaiba and Joey."

"Alright, fine-! Wait, when did we start having double-dates?" The confused expression on Yami's face was almost comical, but for the fact that Yugi knew if he laughed, he'd be apologizing to a sulky pharaoh all evening.

"Joey and I decided that we needed to spend time together and also get you and Kaiba to get along without wanting to duel each other, so we planned double-dates," Yugi explained, smiling brightly in his 'aren't-I-smart-it's-so-simple!' way. "We were going to invite Bakura and Ryou, too, but we decided to take it one step at a time and begin with the less violent pair: meaning _you_ and _Kaiba._"

Yami stared at him for a few minutes before scowling. "We may kill each other just to spite."

"Oh, shut up. Do you want some of my burger or not?"

.-.-.-.-.-.

Tristan tilted his head as he heard his doorbell, then sighed and flipped his TV off. He was expecting some take-out, so he planned to go into his room and sulk, so his parents wouldn't come home from their date (how unfair was it that _they_ could go out on a date and he couldn't find anyone?!) and worry about him.

Going to the door, he began pulling out his wallet as he opened it. "How much do I owe you?"

"I am not a pimp!" Serenity exclaimed angrily, wrenching on the ear she had in her hand.

Tristan looked up at her in surprise, then frowned. "…Hello… Serenity…"

She scowled at him. "I hope you were expecting someone else when you opened the door!"

"…Chinese take-out?" It was more of a question than an actual answer. He was rather frightened of what this girl could do. She was, after all, the little sister of his best friend, who had in fact impaled a wall with a phone's antenna.

"…Whatever. Valid reason," the younger girl stated, then scowled again and yanked on the ear. "Forward!"

Tristan actually felt sorry for him as Duke stumbled forward; he could see a little blood from where her nails had dug into his ear. "Um…"

"Duke would like to say something to you!" Serenity stated cheerfully, then scowled and kicked the dice-obsessed duelist in the ass, shoving him into the brunet and making them both fall on the floor. "YOU _WILL_ WORK THIS OUT!" So saying, she turned and stomped away, muttering about how boys were idiots and how she hoped that hanging out with Téa tomorrow would make her feel better.

Tristan shoved the raven-haired boy off and growled. "Just what I needed. If it weren't for the fact that she terrifies me, I'd have kicked you off my doorstep. Get _lost._"

"TristanwaitpleaseI'msorry!" Duke explained, reaching out to grab his arm. "Just hear me out!"

"I may have _acted_ straight, and I think I _am_ straight, but if you think I'm a _horrible_ enough person to just kick you in the balls like that emotionally then I don't even wanna be friends with you!" He tried to pry his hand off, but when that didn't work, he jerked his head away, resolutely keeping the tears that were threatening to fall in check. "…You really hurt me, Duke. I don't think I want to talk to you right now."

The other boy winced as he saw the brunet's shoulders begin shaking, then hesitantly stood. "…Okay. Maybe later then?"

He wanted to say no, to make him hurt like he'd been hurt, but he just couldn't bring himself to make anyone else feel that pain. So, nodding a little, he sighed. "Okay. Call me tomorrow and we'll see what happens."

Duke smiled hopefully and nodded. "Okay. I'll call you tomorrow then."

Tristan watched him leave out of the corner of his eye, then sighed and covered his face. "Oh, _God._"

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey moaned softly and turned onto his back, letting his eyes flutter open as he raised a hand to push his hair out of his face. "Mmn…" He frowned in confusion. His ceiling was not _blue._ Sitting up quickly, fearing he may have been abducted somehow and that Seto was hurt, he was relieved to find Codi curled up on a small pouf from a container of talcum powder on the bedside table. So he hadn't been kidnapped. Then where was he?

'_This must be Seto's room!'_ Truth be told, he'd only seen glimpses of it, when Seto had tried to invite him in and he'd peeked past him. But, he'd always been too intimidated to take him up on the offer, so he'd scuttled away to his own room; when they did have sex, it was always there (or in the shower, if Seto could finagle him into it that day). _'It's… not at all like I thought it was.'_

It was large, but not overly so; one wall was covered by a bookcase, and on the other side of the bed, about ten feet away, was a desk with a desktop computer on it and a few various papers. There were dark blue curtains at the window, and in the far corner a couple of big, comfy-looking armchairs and a coffee table, where he assumed that Seto sat and read in his free time.

Looking up, he found that the reason he thought the ceiling was blue was because of the blue canopy on the four-poster bed. He sat up and looked down at the blankets covering him. There was a cotton sheet (he'd been expecting silk, actually), then a thicker blanket, and finally, the comforter. The comfort was also blue, like the canopy, while the other two were a calming cream color. It was all very comforting, but…

Why was he here?

Joey lifted his gaze quickly as he heard someone at the door, raising the blankets up to his chest anxiously, then reached over to poke Codi; he had a feeling that if he needed protection, she'd be the one to help him. …Though he didn't know why this was, considering she was tiny. "Codi!"

"_Mee?"_ The dragon lifted her head, blinking blearily. _"Mee…"_

Then, the door opened, revealing his mate. Seto raised an eyebrow. "…Why are you up so early? I was planning to come get Codi so we could try and make breakfast for you."

Joey blinked innocently, then smiled. "Dinner last night and breakfast in bed? What did I do t' deserve that? …I might just do it again," he stated, voice slightly husky as he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

The brunet wondered if he knew just how provocative he was like that. If Codi hadn't been blinking at him in confusion (she had no hands. In _what_ way was she supposed to help him?), reminding him that she was in the room, he probably would have jumped his mate. …He wasn't so sure that would have stopped him last night, though.

Seto shook his head quickly, trying to get the naughty thoughts out of his head so he wouldn't jump his bones anyway. "I've gotten most of my work done so I can spend more time with you. Okay?"

The younger boy smiled sweetly. "That sounds great! Just one question." At this, his expression darkened. "Why am I in your bed?"

"Codi wouldn't let me leave you in your room," the brunet replied, frowning. "I'm not really sure why, and she hasn't told me." He paused in thought, then smiled a little. "Maybe she's taken a liking to you."

"Oh. …I see." Joey looked at the dragon and tilted his head, then frowned. "…I dunno if I'm ready for that yet, Seto…"

He wasn't quite ready to share a bed with him, despite what they had done and were bound to do again. It just seemed… too intimate to him. That, and his parents had once shared a bed, and then seemingly one day, his mother had just left, and taken his baby sister with her. He knew logically that the two events didn't have anything to do with each other—in fact, it had more to do with when his father started sleeping on the couch instead of with his mother—but he couldn't help…

"It was just for a couple of hours." Seto walked over to him and planted a kiss on the top of his head comfortingly. "Codi came to wake me up at five to get my work done and then she made me move you."

The blond slid his arms around the older teen's waist and sighed, leaning his face into his side. "…Okay…"

"Come on. You need a shower and I think I should help you," the CEO stated, hugging him back and pulling him off the bed.

Joey squeaked and blushed. "Seto, I don't wanna—It's the _morning!_"

"Yes. Let's make the most of it while we have all of our energy."

"Pervertpervertpervertwhatareyadoin'ohmyGod!"

Codi tilted her head as the door to the bathroom closed, then squeaked in alarm when she heard a shriek from the Golden One. When this was followed by a playful roar and the blond's soft, repetitive cries coming in a certain rhythm, however, she realized it for what it was and her squeak turned to one of embarrassment. …Well, she could go check on that _evil thing,_ so she didn't have her ears bleeding from hearing their _sex noises._

Face settling into a determined scowl, she took to the air and made her way to Joey's room. She peeked into his room suspiciously, then moved in further, eyes fixing on the far corner. Her eyes narrowed as the beady red eyes of the Evil Thing landed on her, and she swore she could hear its rumble of displeasure. She flew over to give it a piece of her mind.

Just as Codi opened her mouth to begin shrieking at it, however, its tail came out of nowhere, slapping her into the opposite wall with a loud 'smack.' All of the air in her body rushed out in a squeaky wheeze, and then she fell to the ground, unable to move.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

[1] I won't lie; I Googled. **:3** Because it doesn't take a genius to figure out that when you can't think something up yourself, you can use other people's ideas as long as you tweak them enough to make them yours and your significant other doesn't find out. **:**D

[2] It's called a Russian Blue. I figured that since Ryou likes the little leader frank so much, he could get the closest thing to her. The gender may be different, but I like the idea of Bakura competing with a cat, and then taking it personally because the cat is male. The idea makes me giggle. **:3**


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Sooo… I realize that some of you don't support the "Seto spanking Joey" thing. That's fine, that's cool, but don't get offended by it. Honestly, it's a dragon thing. No, I'm serious, that's how I characterize dragons. Here, let me try to explain…

Dragons are very possessive of their mates. Thus, sires get angry when they find out their dames have been hiding things from them. Now, it may seem different to the dames, but sires believe that they are "in charge," and they exercise this belief by spanking. I mean, seriously, if a sire tried to keep his dame in line any other way, either of them could end up with serious injuries. So spanking the dame with his tail is considered normal to keep her "in line." That, and dames have their own ways of exercising their own control of the relationship (*cough*punishing sires inconspicuously*cough*). That's why Seto spanked Joey. It's his "dragony" side showing.

And Joey punishing him by waking him up in the middle of the night? That was his dame-ish side retaliating. See, spanking is a sire thing; punishing the sires for their punishment is the dame's. Honestly, I think the sires have it worse. They're predictable. …Dames are not. You never know _how_ the dame will retaliate. And therefore dames are always better off than sires.

Oh. Yeah, I know this is a shorter chapter, but considering how long I've had writer's block for this story FORGIVE ME THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE LONGER. D**:** Also… I'm not answering your reviews to the last chapter either forgivemeplz. Consider it necessary for me to be able to start on the next chapter already. -_-;; If you really want me to answer your review I SUPPOSE you can send me a private message demanding I do so, but… I'd rather you not.

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Codi tilted her head as the door to the bathroom closed, then squeaked in alarm when she heard a shriek from the Golden One. When this was followed by a playful roar and the blond's soft, repetitive cries coming in a certain rhythm, however, she realized it for what it was and her squeak turned to one of embarrassment. _…_Well, she could go check on that evil thing, so she didn't have her ears bleeding from hearing their sex noises._

_Face settling into a determined scowl, she took to the air and made her way to Joey's room. She peeked into his room suspiciously, then moved in further, eyes fixing on the far corner. Her eyes narrowed as the beady red eyes of the Evil Thing landed on her, and she swore she could hear its rumble of displeasure. She flew over to give it a piece of her mind._

_Just as Codi opened her mouth to begin shrieking at it, however, its tail came out of nowhere, slapping her into the opposite wall with a loud 'smack.' All of the air in her body rushed out in a squeaky wheeze, and then she fell to the ground, unable to move._

Chapter 5

Blushing, Joey stormed out of the bathroom, adjusting the towel he was holding around him slightly. "Pervert!"

Seto raised an eyebrow and leaned in the doorway, watching him go; he was proud to say his eyes lingered on the blond's ass for only a few seconds before drifting upward. "You weren't complaining earlier."

"How could I when your-!" the younger boy began, spinning to glare at him, then blushed when he realized they were both still almost naked and wet—and then squeaked when he realized what he was about to say. "I-I didn't—and ya—_ARGH!_" Deciding that anything that came out of his mouth would be embarrassing or stupid, he flipped the other boy off before turning to continue to his room.

The brunet chuckled and lifted a hand to swipe his still-wet hair out of his eyes. "I don't see why he gets so embarrassed when we have sex during the day."

Joey huffed and kicked his door open then stomped over to his dresser, roughly yanking the drawers open and then slamming them back shut when he'd finished with them. "Jerk! Just cornerin' me while I'm still sorta sleepy-!" He brutally stabbed the small voice in the back of his head informing him that he _had_ been able to fight back; he just… hadn't. "Sex in the mornin'—Does that pervert _ever_ wanna just cuddle! Or is it all sex, sex, sex?! I mean, what the hell—"

"_Joy-ee_…_"_

The blond stiffened. He'd only heard a cute, weak voice like that once—after Joy had been slapped into a wall and had bruised most of his body. Turning sharply, he looked around for the little dragon frantically. "Codi?!"

"_Mee_…_"_

Spotting the tiny dragon on the floor, he dropped his clothes and ran over to her, picking her up gently. "Oh, Codi!"

Her little body was almost entirely bruised, and there was a dribble of blood coming from her nose. He cradled her in his hands as if she were as fragile as glass, brushing his thumbs against her softly in comforting pets. She looked up at him with teary green eyes, letting out a soft squeak of pain. He was sure a lot of her bones were broken… But what could have done this to her?

Afraid for the dragon in his hands and the child forming inside of him, he called out, "Seto! I need you!" Then, he began sending tiny sparks along her body. He was glad he could control his powers now; he could remember Joy's shriek of pain from his less-than-bearable healing.

Seto could sense the distress from his mate and immediately burst into his room, snarling and looking fit to kill—and only in his boxers. Spying his dame kneeling in the corner, he frowned in concern and made his way over to him. Placing his hands gently on his shoulders, he quietly asked, "…Joey?"

Joey looked up at him, tears forming in his eyes a little. "What could've done this t' her?"

The brunet growled loudly when he saw the condition Codi was in—though steadily getting better, thanks to the healing sparks from the blond's fingers—and tightened his grip on him a little. "I have no idea." He frowned when the dragon's eyes flicked over to the corner, then turned and looked at it carefully. He didn't find anything amiss, but he was sure Codi wouldn't lie to him, and he had sensed something earlier. Something that was just… very… _wrong._ "…You're moving into my room."

At that, the blond looked up at him angrily. "I _told_ ya I'm not—"

"I don't _care_ if you're not ready for it!" the Dragon Master snarled, making him wince backward. Even in pain, Codi gave him a reproving look. Sighing, the brunet forced himself to calm down. "We don't have to share a bed yet, okay? I just want you in with me. I can protect you better in there. And Codi doesn't seem to like this room," he added, glancing around again.

Joey looked up at him skeptically for a few moments, then nodded slowly. "Alright. But we aren't sharing a bed."

"I'll drag the rocking chair in," Seto agreed. "It's surprisingly comfortable. I fell asleep almost immediately."

"Good, I made it that way," the blond retorted shortly, then frowned and looked down at his lap. "…Seto, I'm scared."

The Dragon Master growled and nuzzled his neck roughly. "My dame. I'll protect you."

Codi keened quietly. She'd failed both the Dragon Master and the Golden One. She should have known she was too little to protect them. If it had been the _other_ Petit Dragon, she was sure _he_ could have been some help.

"_See-toh..."_

Seto frowned, then took her from his mate's hands gently and stood up. "Let's go to Mythaven, then." He sighed and ruffled the blond's hair. "Hurry up and get dressed and we'll go."

"But…" Joey frowned and looked down at the floor. "…If my room isn't safe even when you're with me… what makes your room safe?"

The brunet frowned, then knelt in front of him and sighed. "Puppy… I'll take care of it, okay? Just trust me. I'll keep you safe."

"…Okay," the younger boy agreed softly, looking away from him again. He blushed a little as the Dragon Master leaned down to place a kiss on his cheek and bit his bottom lip as the brunet stood to leave the room.

Standing up, Joey looked over at the clothes he'd dropped when he'd gone to Codi's aid and wrung the hem of his towel thoughtfully. Now that he sensed for it, he could feel a sort of… darkness in the room. He couldn't tell exactly what it was, or whether it was actually evil, but… it bothered him. And now that he knew it was there, he wondered how long it had been there.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Soumya lifted his head as he heard a yelp, then frowned, brows drawing together in frustration. "I must have done something to piss off some greater power. I have a mate that walks all over me and doesn't take good care of herself, I'm like a buffer between dragons and canines, and now, on top of that, my mate is giving birth while the Golden One has come. WHAT GOD OR GODDESS HATES ME!?" he roared, surging to his feet.

Joey and Codi squeaked and ducked behind the Dragon Master quickly. "Eep!"

"_Mee!"_

Seto blinked, then frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I'm assuming you've come to see Kankana," the kirin mumbled, beginning to pace. "She's giving birth right now. Dragons are supposed to be there when the eggs hatch so we can clean the kits."

Joey frowned and tapped his fingers together anxiously. "No offense, Soumya, but it's kind of different when dogs do it… There are no eggs hatchin' or anything…"

"I'm aware of that!" Soumya snapped, shooting him a short glare, before he went back to his pacing. "But now she's in there all alone—what if she needs help?! What if there are complications?! She could be dying in there right now and I can't do anything!"

"…Right," the brunet sighed, eyes also narrowing in a glare as he saw the hurt expression on his own mate's face. "I'll forgive you for snapping at Joey this once, because Kankana's actually having her pups. But if you ever snap at him again, I'll fry you. Besides, we're not here to see Kankana. We're here to see you."

The dragon-deer blinked for a moment, then turned his full attention on them. "What's wrong?"

Joey cupped the Petit Dragon in his hands and hugged her to his chest protectively. "Somethin' hurt Codi in my room. There's somethin' dark in there, Soumya. She's tryin' t' protect us from it, but I don't think she can do it alone."

Seto nodded and crossed his arms. "She could have died if Joey hadn't found her in time. We need more than just her help."

Codi's head drooped in despair; she was a failure at protecting her master and his mate. _"Mee__…__"_

The brunet reached over and rubbed the top of her head gently, then looked back at the kirin. "I was thinking we could hit two or three birds with one stone and bring Joy back with us."

Joey looked up at him in surprise. "Ya were?"

The little yellow dragon frowned and looked up at him in confusion. _"See-toh?"_

"…Explain," the dragon-deer ordered, sitting down and twisting his ears back thoughtfully.

Seto nodded. "Akai and the girls can't keep depending on Joy to baby-sit for them. They've got a lot of kits, sure, but there are four parents there. They can take turns at the worst. Also, Joy should be with other Petit Dragons. Codi can help him ease back into that. …Besides, I wouldn't mind seeing him find a mate."

Codi let out an embarrassed shriek and looked up at him in horror. _"__**SEE-TOH!**__"_

"…What?" he asked innocently, frowning. "Don't think I didn't notice the way you looked at him."

"Huh? At Joy? How'd she look at him?" Joey asked in confusion, looking up at him. "Seto?"

Seto smirked and leaned in to catch the blond's lips in a quick kiss. "She looked at him a lot like you used to look at me."

"Ah. Wait—Hey, Joy would walk all over her!" the younger boy exclaimed, frowning in concern. "Why would ya let him do that!"

"I have faith in the fact that you'll give him a tongue lashing the first time he tries," the brunet cooed, patting his cheek lovingly before he turned back to the kirin. "So, what do you think?"

Soumya bobbed his head a few times thoughtfully, then nodded. "That's a good idea. Okay, I'll go get him."

"_SOUMYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!"_

He flinched, eyes wide, then turned to scamper into Den. "I'll be right back stay there!"

Joey winced, remembering the comparison Kankana had once used to describe giving birth. She'd said it was like shoving a jelly bean through a little red stirring straw. As he heard her howl again, he looked down at his stomach and bit his bottom lip, then placed one of his hands on his smooth belly and rubbed it gently.

Seto frowned placed his hand over the blond's. "You're not regretting it, are you?"

"Well, no, but… Seto… I'm not gonna have a doctor or anything t' help me. No medicine or stuff like that. I've… I'm used t' pain, but… Seto, I don't know if I can actually get the baby out."

"…I…" The brunet frowned. What was he supposed to say to that?

Codi frowned as well and let out a worried keen. _"Jeece!"_

"…Right! Jace can help you!" Seto exclaimed. "He's really the only one who knows how to help anyway, right?"

"But how is that gonna help with the pain?" the blond asked softly. "I mean, it's gonna hurt, right? So how am I gonna get through that?"

The older teen sighed and cupped the blond's face in his hands gently, feeling helpless to comfort him, then leaned in to give him a soft and what he hoped was comforting kiss. "We'll deal with it when the time comes, okay? I'll… I'll try to help you. I don't know what I can do to make it better, but I'll try."

"_NEVER AGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!!!!!!!"_

Joey whimpered softly. Kankana was tough. If she was in this much pain…

"I'm only doin' this once."

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joy cooed and rubbed up against Joey's face fondly. _"Joy-ee_…_"_

Despite how frightened and unsure he'd felt beforehand, the blond couldn't help a smile. "Hey, Joy!"

"So, Joy, how do you feel about coming home with Joey and me?" Seto asked, reaching out to run his finger along the little dragon's spine.

The yellow dragon gasped, then bashed into the brunet's face. _"Mee!"_

"Ow." The brunet winced a little, then sighed. "I'll take that as a yes."

Codi poked her head up out of the collar of Joey's shirt, then squeaked and ducked back inside nervously. Having the Dragon Master trying to get her and the other Petit Dragon together made her nervous. Especially since he had to look on a website for romantic ideas.

Joey looked down at the trembling mass under his shirt, then looked up at the brunet skeptically. "Ya sure this will work, Seto?"

"Of course I'm sure," the older boy replied, placing his hands on his hips. "Have I ever been unsure?"

"…"

"…Alright, fine. But I _am_ sure about this."

Joy tilted his head innocently and blinked, then smiled brightly and dove down Joey's shirt as well. Codi let out a startled shriek and shoot back out to hide inside the collar of the brunet's trench coat, peeking out at the blond's shirt warily.

Joey frowned. "Hey, that's not fair! Joy, Codi was there first!"

The little dragon poked his head out and frowned, brows furrowing together in confusion. _"Mee_…_"_

"Well, you'll just have to get used to him again," Seto commented, reaching out to tap Joy on the nose. "Because Codi will be coming with me to work and Joy will be going with you to school."

"What—but the—he's loud and the teachers will try and confiscate him, thinkin' he's a toy!" the blond gasped. "How 'm I s'posed t' explain 'im then!?"

The brunet raised an eyebrow thoughtfully, then shrugged. "I'm sure being locked in a drawer for a few hours would build character—if not mellow him out a bit."

"Is this the sorta view you're gonna take with our kid?!" Joey exclaimed, glaring at him. "'It'll build character!?' What happens when the baby actually needs discipline?!"

Seto frowned at him and took a step back. "I'll treat the baby differently—I don't really expect him to be that much trouble—"

"Oh, so a baby won't be _too much_ trouble?!" The blond placed his hands on his hips and scowled. "Do ya have any idea how much effort it takes to raise a baby?!"

"I assume just a little more effort than it takes to raise a five-year-old," the brunet hissed, suddenly taking offense. "Are you doubting my abilities to be a parent? Because I think I did a pretty good job raising Mokuba."

Joey snorted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, a pretty good job, Mr. You-Can-Own-Porn-As-Long-As-I-Don't-Find-It!"

"You're the one _buying_ it for him!" the older boy snapped, crossing his arms. "For practically nothing! You might as well just get it for him for free!"

"Are ya callin' me easy?!" the blond asked angrily hands clenching into fists.

Seto tapped his chin in mock thought. "Well, it _would_ explain why it's not that hard to seduce you—"

"That's because ya won't do anything else with me!" the Golden one exclaimed, eyes glowing a little with anger and hurt. "Would it kill ya t' cuddle with me without plannin' t' screw me after a few minutes, ya perverted dragon freak?!"

"I don't know how!"

Joey stared at him a few minutes, stunned, then began to get angry all over again. "That's gotta be the stupidest excuse I've ever heard! Ya dunno how?! _Please,_ Seto! No one's _that_ lame or stupid!"

Seto's eyes narrowed. He needed to get out of here before he said something that really hurt his puppy—and before his puppy hurt him anymore than he already had. "Well, then allow me to be the no one that _is_ that stupid and lame." He turned to storm through a portal, but not without a parting shot. "I'm going home. If you ever decide that you're ready to deal with the _lame_ and _stupid_ perverted dragon freak you're having a baby with, I'll be in my office, making a living."

"You're not the only one with a job, ya _prick!_" the blond shouted after him, then kicked the ground as hard as he could.

Akai squawked as he received a face full of dirt, then frowned. _**"If you didn't want to see me, you could have just said so…"**_

Joey scowled and shoved his hands in his pockets in frustration. "It's not _you_ I don't wanna see."

"_**Ah, I heard the last part of your… conversation,"**_ the dragon added, shaking his head free of dirt, before he placed his gaze on the blond again. _**"So did Kisara. She asked me to inform you that Seto really doesn't know how to cuddle unless he plans on making love to you or in the afterglow of sex. He didn't experience much physical affection as a child except from his brother, so he really doesn't realize when it's appropriate and when it's not. He can't… **__cuddle__** with you unless you expressly tell him you want to."**_

"…But… no..." The blond felt all of the fight and anger drain from his body as soon as he realized that his dragon was telling the truth, and that that truth made sense. So it really wasn't Seto's fault. Well, it sort of was, but not entirely.

He'd said some pretty mean things then, things that Seto hadn't deserved to be accused of. Really, Mokuba was a sweet kid, and Seto had done an amazing job of protecting him and taking care of him since they'd been dumped at the orphanage. Attacking him through Mokuba had been a very mean and vindictive thing to do.

Joey sighed and sat down heavily where he stood, brows drawing together as he tried to figure out what he had to do now. "Shit..."

Kaii, seeing his mother, let out a happy trill and waddled past his brother to crawl into the blond's lap. Cooing happily, he looked up at the human and smiled, then frowned when he realized his mother wasn't happy.

Joey hugged him close and sighed. "Oh, baby, Mommy said somethin' really mean t' your daddy. How 'm I s'posed t' fix it?"

Akai frowned in concern as his brother's wings and tail wilted in despair and tears began to fill his master's eyes. _**"…Perhaps… flowers…?"**_

"…He's a Dragon Master. What do dames do when they make their mates angry?" the blond asked quickly, looking up at him.

The dragon took a step back. _**"I… I really couldn't tell you, Joey. I mean—"**_

"_**Seduce hiiiim!"**_

Joey blushed brightly and looked toward the dragons' den, from which the female voice had come from. "W-what?!"

"_**Don't be a dolt. That only works with certain arguments. This is not one of them."**_

"…_**Well it always works with Akai…"**_

Kisara stuck her head out of the cave and looked around momentarily, stopping when her eyes finally landed on Kaii. _**"Kaii, it's time to eat. Don't worry about your parents; they'll work whatever they've done out in the end."**_

Kaii whined, then nuzzled the human's neck before turning to waddle into the den to get some milk. Joey watched him go and sighed. He'd still be drinking milk until he was about two years old, so he wouldn't be able to really take care of him until then.

Kisara stayed just long enough to give the blond a comforting lick. _**"Everything works itself out in time. Just give him a little space, and he'll come to you. Dames are viewed as part of the sire's hoard—just something that bites back if their egos grow too big. You're part of his hoard, and he'll protect you and take care of you. He **__will__** eventually come back to you. Always."**_

Joey frowned as she disappeared back into the den, then looked back up at Akai. "…I'm part of Seto's hoard?"

"_**There's a difference between dames and hoards,"**_ the dragon explained hastily. _**"…I don't know if I'll ever be able to explain it adequately. It's just something sires always know and something dames always accept. So yes, we view our dames as hoards; our emotional hoard, our irreplaceable hoard.**_

"_**Gold and jewels can always be easily replaced. Family cannot. Material items fill the empty hole we have inside that longs for something to call 'mine.' Dames and kits fill the empty hole in our hearts. My dames and kits are mine. They can't be taken away from me. Ra help anyone that attempts to prove me wrong."**_

Joey frowned and rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully. "…I think I understand now. Okay." He stood up and dusted his pants off, then looked back up at the black dragon and flashed him a small, hesitant smile. "I'll wait 'til he comes t' me, and then… then we'll talk. Right?"

Akai flashed him a blinding grin. _**"Right."**_

Joy decided that the storm was over and it was time to make himself known again. So he began wriggling around inside his shirt to deliberately tickle the Golden One.

Joey let out a slightly unmanly shriek. "AGH THAT TICKLES!"

.-.-.-.-.-.

"How does one cuddle?"

There was silence for a few moments before it was shattered by the sound of glass breaking; Yami had dropped the glass of water he'd been holding.

Seto frowned impatiently. "Don't look at me like that. Just tell me so I can go."

Yugi blinked at him for a minute longer, then frowned as well. "Why? Can't Joey teach you or something?"

The brunet winced, then looked away from them quickly under the guise of looking at a display of new cards—not that he'd ever be interested in them. "…I've… upset him. I don't know how… I don't know how to show affection to him unless it's through sex and he's angry with me. I don't want him angry with me anymore."

Yami tilted his head. "But… Kaiba, there has to be more. He wouldn't just hold that against you."

Seto let his gaze drift further down to look at his feet. How was he supposed to tell them that Joey wouldn't think he'd be a good father? It was really none of their business anyway—it was between he and Joey.

Apparently, Yugi believed that too, as he shot his darker half a glare. "It's not our place to pry. Kaiba, you've cuddled with him before, right?"

The brunet nodded hesitantly. "…Yes…"

"Well, just do that. But don't do it with the intent to have sex with him. Cuddling is supposed to be innocent and show affection," the smaller teen explained, and was happy to say that the brunet seemed to understand what he was saying. "Joey's a very physical person anyway, so he should be able to help you learn. But it's nice that you're trying to be more affectionate. I'm glad; Joey needs someone to hold him at night." He turned back to the display he was setting up. "God knows he needs it after the nightmares."

Seto turned toward him, frowning in confusion as Codi peeked out from his collar and cooed in concern. _'Nightmares? I didn't know he was having nightmares. What has my puppy been hiding from me?'_


	6. Chapter 6

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Seto let his gaze drift further down to look at his feet. How was he supposed to tell them that Joey wouldn't think he'd be a good father? It was really none of their business anyway—it was between he and Joey._

_Apparently, Yugi believed that too, as he shot his darker half a glare. "It's not our place to pry. Kaiba, you've cuddled him before, right?"_

_The brunet nodded hesitantly. "…Yes…"_

"_Well, just do that. But don't do it with the intent to have sex with him. Cuddling is supposed to be innocent and show affection," the smaller teen explained, and was happy to say that the brunet seemed to understand what he was saying. "Joey's a very physical person anyway, so he should be able to help you learn. But it's nice that you're trying to be more affectionate. I'm glad; Joey needs someone to hold him at night." He turned back to the display he was setting up. "God knows he needs it after the nightmares."_

_Seto turned toward him, frowning in confusion as Codi peeked out from his collar and cooed in concern. __**'Nightmares? I didn't know he was having nightmares. What has my puppy been hiding from me?**_

Chapter 6

Joey winced as he stepped toward his mate's office. The hurt and anger and helplessness crashed into him like tidal waves. Joy cringed, then let out a defeated coo and wriggled out of his shirt to fly down to Seto's room, where he'd hide until the storm blew over. The blond watched him go and frowned; he'd sort of hoped he'd have someone else there to keep the Dragon Master from accidentally frying him.

Well, he'd put it off long enough. …He could at least check how mad he was before he went in though. Peeking in through the crack in the door, he felt his heart sink even further.

Seto looked the perfect picture of emotional agony. He had his head resting in his hands, merely staring at the top of his desk without seeing anything. His furrowed brows gave off a feeling of frustration while his helpless expression exposed just how hurt and confused he was.

Joey felt the guilt in his stomach grow even heavier. Taking a deep breath, he reassured himself that Seto would never hurt him no matter how snappy he got and stepped into the office, tapping lightly on the door. "Seto?"

"…Yes?" the brunet asked softly, not looking up.

The younger boy winced a little. He must have hurt his mate more than he thought. "…Seto, I… I wanted t' apologize for what I said t' ya. I shouldn't have…"

Seto lifted his head and frowned at him. "Why didn't you tell me you were having nightmares?"

Joey frowned as well, confused. "…W-who told ya I was havin' nightmares?"

"Yugi. When I went to ask him a question, he mentioned that you had nightmares." The brunet looked a little more hurt than concerned, but still troubled. "Why didn't you tell me you were having nightmares? I… I would have stayed with you when you slept. I would have woken you up if you started having one. If you didn't want me to stay with you, at least I'd _know._ Don't… don't you trust me?"

"Of _course_ I trust ya—" the blond began quickly, but then the other boy was looking away from him again, dejected.

"Obviously you don't. You didn't tell me that you had decided to have our baby, you didn't tell me that you have nightmares… What next? You'll tell me that the baby isn't actually mine? That you've found someone else? …That you don't want me anymore…"

Eyes widening, Joey stepped further into the room. "No, no! That's not true! Seto, wait a minute—"

"Why? You just make decisions without me anyway." Seto sighed and stood up. "I'm going to take a shower then work a little longer. I'll come in to say goodni—"

The blond snarled and leapt at him, throwing his arms around the older boy's neck. "_Stop it!_"

"Ow-!" Grunting as he knocked his hip on the desk, the brunet hurriedly caught his balance, one arm instinctively coming up to wrap around the younger boy's waist. "Joey—"

"Don't do this t' me!" Joey sobbed and dug his fingers into the brunet's shirt. "Don' make me do this alone! I can't-! I can't do this alone, Seto! I need help! I'm sorry I didn't tell ya but it didn't seem important t' me!" He sobbed again when the older boy didn't answer and nuzzled his chest helplessly. "I didn't wanna trouble ya, Seto—I'm _sorry!_"

Seto sighed again and closed his eyes, trying to force back the headache he could tell was forming behind his eyes. "…Joey, calm down." When the blond only trembled as he tried to stifle his sobs, he sighed. "God, puppy. You should still tell me things, even when you think they're not important. Maybe _I_ think it's important."

"But… but… But I didn't wanna worry ya because ya were workin' so hard and you're yellin' at me and I made ya feel so bad by sayin' all those mean things and I had no right to and you're tryin' t' make me feel better-!" The blond hid his face in the older boy's chest. "W-why do ya hafta be so nice t' me even when you're mad at me?!"

The brunet growled softly and rolled his eyes, then reached down to grab at the Golden One's thigh. "Up. Now."

Joey whimpered and hooked his legs around the brunet's waist. "Y-you're still mad at me. H-how come you're so nice even when I've hurt ya?"

Seto grabbed the younger boy's ass and lifted him slightly, then began walking out of the office. "It's my job to hide my emotions, otherwise my competitors would take over my company."

"Stop it-! Ya make it so hard t' understand ya!" the blond mumbled, still feeling a little teary. He had no idea why he had to _cry_ so much; normally he wouldn't. Perhaps… perhaps he was going hormonal? The notes had said he might be a bit more hormonal than most women were… His body wasn't meant to have such high levels of female hormones…

The brunet sighed and stepped into his room, then scowled when he found Joy chasing Codi around. "_Joy!_ Stop it!"

Joey turned his head and frowned, still teary but wondering where this would go. "Seto…?"

Joy squealed and tilted his head innocently, as if asking _'who, me?'_ _"Mee?"_

Codi, seeing her savior, shot over to hide in the collar of his coat. _"See-toh!"_

Seto scowled. "I'm _serious,_ Joy! Don't pick on Codi! Okay!? Don't! She's sweet and she won't stand up to you! People who pick on people who can't defend themselves are nothing but trash! Same goes for dragons! Do you want to be _trash,_ Joy?!"

The small dragon winced, then let out a whimper and turned to dive under one of the pillows. _"Mee…!"_

Joey gasped softly, then began to disentangle himself from the brunet, intending to go comfort the tiny dragon. "Joy—"

"_Don't,_" Seto ordered sharply, making him freeze. "He's never going to learn his lesson if you keep babying him. He needs to realize that what he's doing is wrong." He tilted his head to glare at the Petit Dragon hiding in his coat. "And _you,_ Codi. _You_ need to grow a backbone. How do you expect to protect anybody if you can't protect yourself?"

Codi squeaked, stunned that he'd say something like that to her when he so obviously liked her, then whimpered and went to hide under the other pillow. _"Meee…"_

Joey gasped softly, then hurried to extricate himself from his arms. "S-Seto! That's so mean—" He yelped as the brunet jerked him around to face him, then bit his bottom lip as he found the older boy's eyes glowing. That meant he was either angry or horny—and he _really_ doubted that Seto was horny after yelling at their friends. "…Seto?"

Seto slid one of his hands into the blond's hair and gripped it tightly, making him whimper uneasily, then leaned down and pressed their foreheads together. "I can discipline if I feel it necessary. I don't expect Joy's personality to be a problem anymore, at least when it comes to Codi—it may even carry on to his trips to school with you. I just needed to show you that I _can_ discipline our children. Okay?"

"…But… But ya hurt them, Seto," the blond whispered, frowning, then gasped as the older boy swept him into a rough kiss. Mewling weakly, he gripped the brunet's shirt tightly and shuddered. "Mmn…!"

The Dragon Master kissed him for a few more moments, then broke away with a 'smack' and sighed. "…That's what I was showing you. Bad Daddy Dragon snaps and snarls as he disciplines, so babies go running to Mommy. That's what dragons do. It's different from puppies, isn't it, Mama?"

Joey blushed and looked away from him quickly. "…Yeah."

"Hmm. I wonder… Will the baby call you 'mama' or 'mommy?'" Seto questioned thoughtfully, then smiled when the blond blushed even more. "Perhaps they'll call you 'okaasan' or 'haha.'"

"S-shut up! They'll call me 'mom,' like they're supposed ta!" the blond exclaimed, hurriedly trying to pull away. "Stupid dragon, always embarrassin' me-!"

"But Mama, shouldn't we talk about the baby a little more?" the brunet cooed, only to yelp as the younger boy kicked him in the shin. "Ow!"

Joey glared at him. "…M-maybe I won't tell ya what gender it's gonna be when Jace tells me! Huh! Ya ever think about that?!"

"I'm sure I could just ask him myself," Seto replied, then sighed and pulled the blond back into his arms. "Oh, never mind. You should go to bed soon; you've got school tomorrow."

The blond blinked in confusion as the older boy planted a kiss on his head, then looked after him in confusion as he turned and went to the bathroom. He'd… he'd sort of expected Seto to jump him and make love to him before bed. The fact that he hadn't, well… he really didn't know what to think. Especially since the brunet's eyes had been glowing and he hadn't exactly been too mad.

He didn't know whether he should be afraid for the brunet's health or not. And when the two dragons peeked out from under the pillows in confusion, he realized that they'd been surprised and were concerned as well.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto groaned and turned to face into the water, pressing his hands against the wall as he tried to relax his tense muscles. It had taken everything he had not to jump his mate and eat him up. Yugi had said to cuddle. _Cuddle._ Sex wouldn't help comfort his mate when he was having nightmares.

This cold shower wasn't helping at all. He still wanted to jump his mate's bones. "Oh, God. Why me?" He pressed his forehead against the cool tile and sighed. "Normal people don't get this horny this fast." He waited a few more minutes, hoping the coldness would have some affect on his arousal, then reached down to grasp his erection. So much for hoping a cold shower would help. If he had to do this every time he wanted to have sex, someone would doubtlessly ask about why his water bill had risen so much in so little time.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Codi cooed worriedly as she watched the blond twitch and whimper, then landed beside his head on the pillow and nuzzled his nose gently. Joy seemed beside himself as well, as he nuzzled into the blond's neck comfortingly. All attempts to wake the blond had been futile; he hadn't stirred the slightest in response to their squeaks and squeals.

"_Joy-ee…"_

"What's going on?"

Both dragons turned sharply to find the Dragon Master stepping out of the bathroom, frowning as he toweled his hair dry. His brows furrowed together as he saw the blond whimpering on the bed, then groaned and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Alright. Okay. Wait a minute."

Seto dropped his towels and walked over to his dresser to grab a pair of boxers—he couldn't imagine Joey appreciating his preference of sleeping nude when he'd clearly stated he did _not_ want to share the bed—then walked over to fix the covers the blond had tossed off in his squirming. Once having tucked the younger boy back in, he circled the bed to climb on behind him, then lay down against his back, hooking one arm around his waist to pull him closer.

Joey mewled weakly and tried to struggle away, but then the brunet hooked his leg over him as well, firmly but gently pinning his body down. After a few moments of struggling, he settled down, whimpering every once in a while, but not as loudly or as long as he had before.

Seto couldn't help beginning to purr as he cuddled up behind his mate. He'd just take a quick nap before he got in the rocking chair. Joey never had to know that they'd shared a bed. Not that he was under the covers with him or anything, but he just knew that somehow, Joey would get offended and yell at him.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Tristan wondered vaguely if Joey had had these sorts of problems with Kaiba. Probably not, considering he was in 'marital bliss' with him and only ever got pissed when Kaiba made a pass at him that was only awkward to him. It was sort of funny to watch, actually; blushing and sputtering and flailing about wildly in a fashion that amused more than threatened was always nice to see.

So he was here, sitting in a café and waiting for Duke to show up. If he would, the coward, avoiding all of his phone calls.

He was actually sort of surprised when the dice master slid into the seat across from him. Crossing his arms, he jerked his head away. "Ah, look who showed up. I was sort of wondering if you would, considering how you avoided me so much before—"

"Look, I-!" Duke began, then sighed and hung his head. "…I'm sorry I did that. I thought for sure you'd just come after me and try to turn me into a Duke Pancake."

Tristan snorted. He wasn't _mad_ at him anymore; he was just hurt. "…I thought we were friends. We traipsed around with flying horses for a week. We got along well. Why did you think I'd immediately beat you up?"

At that, the CEO winced, then looked away from him quickly. "…I just… You'd only shown interest in girls. I thought that if you realized I'd been flirting with you the entire time, you'd get mad at me for using your obliviousness to my advantage." He glanced back up at the brunet and raised an eyebrow. "But really. _Joey_ figured out I was flirting with you before you did. Did it ever occur to you that you can't get a girlfriend because you're even more oblivious than he is?"

"Hey, the only girl I really liked enough to date was Miho, and she turned me down! There was Serenity, but she seems more interested in you now," Tristan snapped, scowling at him. "Thanks for making her think I was psycho!"

Duke winced again. "…Okay, so I admit I was wrong to do that. I'm sorry."

"I wasn't mad that you were flirting with me," the brunet suddenly stated, looking away from him again. "…I was mad that you left before we could talk about it. I thought we were closer than that. …I thought you knew me better."

"…I… I just didn't think you'd want to date me," Duke answered, looking away from him. "I've never really _dated_ someone. Some one night stands, maybe dating for a week… But I've never had a steady. And I thought that you'd think I was just trying to get you as a one night stand."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "…Even _you_ are not that stupid, Duke. I'm not a one night stand. I'd beat your ass from here to the coast."

The raven-haired teen couldn't help a smile. "Oh? Not to 'New-fuckin'-York' like Joey?"

"Why would I beat you to New York? I'm not from New York," the brunet snorted. "Joey'd fit in just fine there, though. Their family moved here when he was eight; that's when things started going wrong—his dad started gambling and drinking and his parents started fighting all the time. Two years later, his parents got a divorce and his mom took Serenity away." He looked away and frowned. "…I'm glad he's got Kaiba now. All of his family is back in New York."

He didn't want to, but Duke felt badly for Joey. He hadn't realized that life had been so hard on him. He didn't want to say it, but… the blond probably needed a hug. "…I kind of feel sorry for him," he stated, sighing. "Kaiba probably couldn't cuddle with him to save his life."

Tristan raised an eyebrow at him again. "Do _you_ know how to cuddle?"

He felt offended that the brunet had to ask; unlike _some_ CEOs (*cough*KAIBA*cough*), he was perfectly capable of cuddling! "Of course I can cuddle! I'm not anal retentive like Kaiba! Do I look like I fuck every free minute of the day!"

The brunet hummed and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, I wouldn't say he fucks _every_ free minute of the day. He has to spend time with his brother. …So just every minute he's not with his brother, working, or sleeping. And maybe not even the sleeping part." He chuckled thoughtfully and looked back at the other boy. "Wouldn't put it past him, really. I'm sure he could even _work_ while he has sex. I don't know whether I want to laugh or feel sorry for Joey."

Duke chuckled as well, thoughtlessly reaching out to catch the brunet's hand, but was startled when it was immediately yanked away. "Oh. …Sorry, I—"

"I'm not going to _date_ you for a while," Tristan stated firmly, placing his hand back on the table. "You really hurt me. But I'm willing to let you try and make it up to me. When you do, _then_ I'll go on a date with you and see what happens."

The dice master blinked in surprise, then smiled sadly; it was the best he could expect after all he'd done, really. More than what he expected, actually. "…Right. And how should I make it up to you?"

The brunet stood and shrugged, leaving enough money to pay for his coffee and tip the waitress that had brought it to him earlier. "Well, there's this new arcade game I've been wanting to try, but it's for two players—"

"I am _so_ there!" Duke exclaimed, standing quickly and hurrying after him. He understood now; Tristan wanted to reaffirm their friendship before they tried anything romantic.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey moaned softly and tried to turn over, but found himself unable to. He frowned. Something was not right.

Turning to look over his shoulder, he was surprised to find his mate cuddled up behind him tightly. He was especially surprised because he'd expressly told him that he did _not_ want to share a bed. Scowling, he smacked the brunet on the shoulder. "_Seto!_"

Seto grunted, scowling, then cuddled closer, clenching the blankets covering the blond tightly between his fingers. "Mmn…"

…Seto was a light sleeper. For him to not be affected by his harassment meant something bad. Maybe he was sick? It would explain why he hadn't jumped the blond's bones last night, and maybe even explain why he was on the bed when he'd said himself he'd sleep in the rocking chair. And Joy and Codi _had_ expressed worry when Seto had just gone in and taken a shower…

Gently grabbing the brunet's arm, Joey shook it lightly. "Seto. Hey, Seto."

The Dragon Master grunted again, then mumbled something about a biscuit and pulled him even closer.

…The blond would be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued by whatever dream his mate was having about a biscuit, but he had other concerns at the moment. "Seto… Seto, wake up. Are you okay?"

"Mmf. Fuck. Yes. I'm tryin' to sleeeeeeeep," Seto mumbled, before grabbing a pillow and covering his head with it.

Joey blinked in surprise, then frowned again. Seto had said that he was a light sleeper, and he'd proved it on many occasions. So why was he sleeping like a hot brick now? "Seto, please wake up. I—" He was interrupted by the alarm clock beginning to ring.

The brunet let out a rumble of disapproval and lifted his hand lazily to shoot it with electricity. "_Die._"

…He didn't know whether he should be amused or horrified. Joey decided to go with amused. Sighing, he glanced back at his mate again, then glanced at the two dragons watching them in interest. Catching their eyes, he winked at them, then clasped his hands together and swooned, "Oh, Seto, help! A man in a black mask is trying to kidnap me so he can keep me as his love-slave! Don't let him rape me!"

Seto sat up sharply and snarled, only to blink in confusion as his mate smiled up at him in amusement. As his fangs shrank back to their normal sizes and the glow of his eyes began to fade, he frowned. "…I'm sorry, I must have been dreaming."

Joey raised an eyebrow and watched the brunet get up and walk over to the bathroom, then glanced at the two little dragons, whose jaws had dropped when the Dragon Master had jolted awake. "Well, guess we'll have to have another talk with Soumya, won't we?"

"_Leeve-sleeve?"_ Codi questioned, looking appalled.

The blond at least had the grace to blush. "Well it worked, di'n't it! He's awake now!"

Seto, who had come back out of the bathroom just in time to hear the dragon ask, frowned and tilted his head; he could usually figure out what she and Joy were trying to say, but this one had him puzzled. "'Leeve-sleeve?' …Joey, what is she talking about?"

Joey blushed a little. "…Nothin'. Well I'd have to get up for school soon anyway so I guess I better get in a shower 'cause I don't wanna be late see ya at breakfast!"

The brunet blinked as the younger boy rushed past him and the bathroom door slammed shut, then looked back at the two dragons. "…What's going on?"

.-.-.-.-.-.

Yugi let out a startled bleat as someone grabbed him by the arm and began dragging him away, then frowned in concern when he realized it was his best friend. "…Joey, are you okay?"

"_No,_ I am not okay!" Joey exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration as he turned toward the smaller boy. "I think somethin's wrong with Seto but if I go ask Soumya I'm afraid he'll mention to Seto that I talked to him and Seto and I are _already_ dancing on egg shells so I wouldn't want him to find out that I hadn't talked t' him first and talked t' Soumya instead-! AND I'VE GOT JOY," he added, to which the dragon poked his little head out of his t-shirt and smiled brightly.

"_Yee-gee!"_

Yugi couldn't help a smile. "Hi, Joy!"

"DON'T ENCOURAGE HIM!" Joey roared, then turned and slammed his head against the fence they'd been walking by.

The younger boy frowned, then reached out and gently tugged on his sleeve. "Joey, I was just saying hi. What's really wrong?"

The blond frowned and rested his forehead against the fence. "…Yug', do you think I'm a bad mate?"

"…I wouldn't say that…" Yugi tilted his head in confusion. "But you know, if you don't start telling Kaiba things, you might become one. I watch The Blue-Eyes and Red-Eyes together and I can't imagine that they hide things from each other. …Like your _nightmares._" He frowned in disapproval. "You should have seen his face when I told him you had nightmares. I thought he already knew, but he looked horrified. Joey, you can't keep this stuff to yourself."

Joy looked up at him and frowned in concern. _"Joy-ee…"_

Joey blushed and began tapping the tips of his fingers together anxiously. "…I… I just don't want him t' worry. He's got enough on his plate without havin' t' worry about me."

"…Joey, I think he likes to worry," the younger boy pointed out. "I think not worrying about anything stresses him out more. Besides, if this is going to work out at all, you have to talk to each other. And I think you'll find out that he'll be happier to hear it from you than he will from someone else—no matter how angry it makes him."

The blond sighed and scratched the back of his head, then nodded slightly. "Okay. I'll talk t' him tonight then."

"…I think Joy's gonna get taken away as a toy," Yugi commented absently.

"I _know!_" Joey exclaimed, grabbing his hair anxiously. "He's gonna get int' some sort of trouble!"

"…Shove him in your desk and tell him to take a nap. He likes to sleep."

Joy frowned. He was supposed to take care of Joey. How was he supposed to do that if he was locked in a desk? _"Joy-ee…"_

"…We'll work something out," the blond sighed.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Codi, could you go see if I left the Grayson file downstairs?" Seto asked, frowning as he looked through the bundle of files he'd brought from the office. "I could have sworn I had it."

Codi hummed and hovered in front of him to look at the names of the files herself, then smiled brightly and nodded. _"Yees!"_

The brunet smiled a little as she began to flap away, then looked back at the files and sighed. The Grayson Company had a very good idea for a video game—they just needed the financial backing. He still wanted to read the outlines of the process they were going to take before he signed off on it though.

He shivered, then frowned; he had a bad feeling. He didn't know why.

Perhaps it was that black puddle in the doorway.

Standing up, Seto eyed the black substance carefully, wondering how it had gotten there and what it was. After a moment, he walked up to it and began scrutinizing it. It wasn't oil—it was too thick for that—but it wasn't syrup of any kind, either. No, the more important question was how it got there; no one else was there except Codi and the maids, and the maids were actually quite proud of being ninjas, so to speak; they came, cleaned, and left, and no matter how hard Seto and Mokuba had looked for them, they could never catch them in the act. In the halls walking between rooms, perhaps, but not in the act.

Maids were scary. …Then again, so were women in general, with their purses-that-defy-laws and their intuition and their MAKE-UP.

He fumed about women for a few more seconds, then looked back down at the puddle. The puddle was gone. "…What the hell?"

"_Meem?"_

Seto looked up to find Codi blinking at him innocently, the file that was five times her size and at least twice her weight hanging out of her tiny mouth. He smiled a little and took it from her. "Thanks, Codi. I wonder just how strong you and Joy are… You're pretty tough little dragons." He swore he saw a little bit of red appear across her nose. He was pleased with this as he went to go sit down at his desk again. "You're cute when you blush."

Codi's nose turned a little redder as she began shrieking at him—much too fast and dragony to be intelligible to him, but it was really the thought that counted, since she was usually sweet and quiet.

Beady red eyes peered over at them from under the bed. That had been close. Too close.

But the time would come soon to make its move.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: So… there's a lemon in this one. I'll warn you when we get to it, though, so you don't have to read it if you don't want to. I'm such a good author, warning you before hand. **:**D Also… I AM NOT PLEASED WITH THE LEMON. It sucks. Just fyi.

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Seto looked up to find Codi blinking at him innocently, the file that was five times her size and at least twice her weight hanging out of her tiny mouth. He smiled a little and took it from her. "Thanks, Codi. I wonder just how strong you and Joy are… You're pretty tough little dragons." He swore he saw a little bit of red appear across her nose. He was pleased with this as he went to go sit down at his desk again. "You're cute when you blush."_

_Codi's nose turned a little redder as she began shrieking at him—much too fast and dragony to be intelligible to him, but it was really the thought that counted, since she was usually sweet and quiet._

_Beady red eyes peered over at them from under the bed. That had been close. Too close._

_But the time would come soon to make its move._

Chapter 7

Joey crossed his arms and frowned, leaning in the doorway. He was concerned. He'd waited a few days, to see if maybe Seto was just having a tough time at work, or he was just tired or something. But, nothing had changed. He'd see the brunet's eyes begin to glow, he'd reach out and touch him for a few moments, kiss him, but then he'd just turn and walk into the bathroom for a shower.

Yugi had finally gotten so frustrated with his depression over not having sex as often that he'd explicitly told him not to come to the game shop until he'd talked to Seto. That meant not to hang out—and not to work. He felt uneasy not working, and especially not hanging out with his friend, so he'd finally been backed into the corner he needed to finally confront Seto.

…But what if he found out something he didn't want to know?

Joey squeaked softly as he felt something hit him in the back of the head and turned in surprise only to find Joy giving him a small scowl. Well… damn. Now he was being scolded by Joy _and_ Codi—as she'd been the one that had herded him to the brunet's office.

Sighing, he nodded, then stepped inside the office and bit his bottom lip. "Seto?"

"Yes, puppy?" Seto answered absently, scribbling out one of his notes and jotting down something else.

"…I… Is this a bad time?" the blond asked, frowning at the fact that he hadn't even looked up.

Sensing that something was amiss, the older teen frowned and looked up. "…No. Is something wrong?" He set his pen down and shut his laptop, then turned and set it in his briefcase—he was finished for the day and would be taking it in with him to work. "You've got your 'I don't want to be here' face on."

Joey blushed a little, then looked down at his feet. "Well… No, I guess nothin's wrong. Well, I don't know. _Is_ somethin' wrong, Seto?" He frowned as he saw the brunet blink at him, then sighed and decided to just suck it up. "Ya don't have sex with me anymore."

Seto raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. "…That's not true. I had sex with you yesterday, and a few days before that."

"But—Not like we did _before,_" the younger boy exclaimed, frowning. "You—Ya used t' have sex with me every day! More than once, sometimes! And now… I know ya get horny! Your eyes glow and then ya go into the bathroom for a shower! Is it me?" He winced at just the thought and took a step back. "…Do… do I not satisfy ya anymore? Is that why? I… I'll do whatever ya want me to, Seto. I… I just…"

It took a few minutes for him to realize what he was being asked, but when he finally understood, he frowned and motioned for him to come. "No, puppy, that's not it. Come here."

Joey whimpered and walked over to sit down in his lap. "Then what is it-?"

Seto pulled him into a hug and began to pet his hair gently. "Oh, puppy, I had no idea I was making you worry. I was just trying to do what you asked me to…"

"Huh?" The blond looked up at him in confusion. "…What are ya talkin' about?"

"You… said you wanted me to cuddle," the older boy answered, frowning a little. "…And you'd made it clear that you didn't like me having sex with you so often. I thought you'd like that I'd cut back on the amount of sex I forced you to have."

The blond's brows furrowed together in frustration. "…Seto, if ya forced me t' have sex, it would be rape. You've never raped me." He blushed a little and looked away from him, frowning. "…I may have been embarrassed that we had sex so often, but I never disliked it. I just said I wanted ya t' cuddle sometimes. Not that ya had t' cut out sex completely."

"But… You yelled and… Did I do it wrong?" the brunet asked in concern. "Was I that bad at it?"

…He was confused. He hadn't yelled at him yet. He'd been incredibly quiet, actually. "…Bad at… sex…?"

"Cuddling. I failed at _cuddling._" Seto sighed and leaned his face into one of his hands in frustration and slight exhaustion. "I can't believe it. I tried so hard—Even went to Yugi for advice. I can't believe I screwed up so badly."

"…You… ya went t' Yug' t' ask how t' cuddle?" Joey couldn't help a smile. "Seto, you're not bad at cuddlin'. Ya make me feel so safe when we cuddle. I just… I wanna keep cuddlin' with ya, but… sex is good too."

The brunet sighed, still a little frustrated, then turned and placed a short kiss to his lips. "I have to go to a meeting with one of Mokuba's teachers, then go drop some papers off at the office. But I promise, I'll come home and make love to you. And… and I'll try to learn when I should cuddle you and when I can make love to you."

"Okay." The blond pressed a kiss against his temple and nuzzled him a little, then stood. "…I guess talkin' isn't so bad," he whispered, smiling a little. "I was worried we'd just scream at each other, like my parents did, but… we did just fine, huh?"

Seto blinked, then sighed sadly. He had never thought that he was lucky to have his parents die, but hearing about how Joey's parents' relationship had fallen apart, seeing how it had affected him now, it… it made him sort of glad that he'd never had to see it with _his_ parents. Joey didn't want to share a bed with him, didn't like to tell him things—all for fear of becoming like his parents.

He promised himself to make sure that never happened between them.

"…So… when is your little meetin' anyway?" Joey asked, looking down at the brunet's chest and trailing his fingers over it gently.

Seto raised an eyebrow. "I need to leave in about ten or fifteen minutes. Why?"

The younger boy blushed brightly and let his gaze travel elsewhere. "…We… we could have a quickie before ya leave."

"…"

"…Yeah, I didn't think you'd—_OH GOD!_"

.-.-.-.-.-.

Kankana blinked as she heard a squeal, then tiredly raised her head. "What's the racket?"

Joy zoomed over to her and cooed, rubbing against her cheek affectionately before looking down at her pups. …Or Soumya's kits. Either way THEY WERE BABIES AND HE LOVED THEM!

Joey chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, blushing a little. "We just wanted t' see your babies. You were in too much pain for us t' stick around last time."

"…Fine," she replied, then let her head flop back onto the ground. She heaved a large, tired sigh, then let her eyes flutter closed as well. "I'm tired, Joey."

"Ah. …So…" He scratched his head for a moment, then motioned as if he was going to pick one of them up. "Can I just…?"

"They sleep like rocks. Just pick one up—but be careful, they're heavy."

Joey took a step closer and picked up one of the pups, gripping under its ribs gently. It was about the size of a full grown miniature poodle, and just a little heavier. He attributed that to the scales protecting their muzzles and legs. Not only the scales came from the kirin, but the pup also had a line of thicker fur like a mane that went along from its skull to about the middle of its back. Its fur was red-gold and the scales were a light sea-foam green. Its eyes were still closed, so he couldn't tell whose eyes it had inherited, but it was still very cute, as the fur on its tail curled and made it look like a cross between Soumya's and Kankana's.

He smiled and pulled it into his arms. "They're really cute, Kankana!"

"The males have horns," she mumbled, then sighed and sat up to begin licking the one between her paws. "They were the ones it hurt to give birth to. I've never been so happy to only have five pups."

"Hmm?" Joey looked down at the pup's head, then poked its forehead gently. After a moment, he leaned over to look at the other pups. Two of them had short, stubby horns on their foreheads. "Huh. Doesn't look too painful."

"Oh, it is. Don't be fooled." She narrowed her eyes at them, then sighed and leaned over to give them each a lick. "I'm just tired of Soumya trying to tell me they're kits when they're _obviously_ puppies."

The blond blinked at her in confusion, then looked down at the puppy in his arms. "…But they're more inugami than kirin… And they didn't come out of eggs…"

"That's what I said! But _he_ pointed out that they have scales and manes, and the boys even have horns. He makes me so _angry_ sometimes!" She huffed, then grabbed the pup between her legs by the scruff and lifted it back to its brothers and sisters, where they whimpered for a few moments before settling back to sleep.

"…Well, ya _could_ call them 'kippies.' I'm just sayin'," Joey pointed out, then looked down at the pup in his arms and smiled. "…Such a cute little baby…"

Kankana tilted her head, then leaned forward and smiled a little. "What do you think yours will look like?"

"I dunno. I guess… I want it t' have Seto's eyes," he stated, sitting down beside her as he began to lovingly pet the pup—or the kippy, as he'd called it. "It would be great if it had Seto's hair, too. I feel bad for sayin' it, but… I don't wanna deal with a kid that has my hair." He laughed softly. "I can barely handle my own hair!"

"I think they'll be lucky no matter who they take after," she replied, then leaned over to lick his cheek sloppily. "Though if you get a girl on your first try, I hope you have another. Pups aren't meant to grow up alone."

Joey blinked at her for a moment. He hadn't really thought about another child after his first, but now that she'd brought it up… what if his first child _was_ a girl? Would he want another one? …Thinking about it, he couldn't imagine what being an only child would be like, considering that he was an older brother. Seto was, too, and he wondered if only children were lonely sometimes, like Yugi or Téa. After all, the rest of his friends had siblings, too, even nieces and nephews! Ryou had had a little sister before she passed away, Tristan had his older sister (and the most perverted nephew _ever_), and Duke, well… Actually, Duke didn't really mention his family.

Huh. He'd ask him about that.

"…I hope they don't inherit Seto's icy mask," he murmured to himself, frowning. "I hope they're more open than he is—and not as open as me."

"I want to see you pregnant," Kankana stated idly, laying her head on her paws. "I think you'd be cute. Can't wait until you get fat—that's when humans are always cutest."

Joey stared at her for a moment, then frowned and reached down to rub his stomach. "…Will Seto still like me when I'm fat?"

She scowled. "He _better_ still like you that way—he's the one that got you pregnant!" Her scowl faded for a few moments in favor of a grin. "Besides, if you tell him just how horny you are, he'll no doubt help you with that problem."

Both the human and inugami went silent as Joy squealed and zipped upward, then turned and pressed his wings flat against his body in a dive. There was the sound of a squeak as he landed between two of the kippies and wriggled between them.

"…What the hell?" Kankana stood and frowned, nosing between the two pups for him. "Joy, what are you doing?"

Joey raised an eyebrow as she caught his tail and lifted him up, then smiled a little when he found the tiny dragon had closed his mouth around a thorn that most assuredly would have made the kippies hurt and unhappy. Holding out his hands to catch him, he cooed, "Aw, Joy, you're such a sweetie."

The inugami gave him a lick of thanks before settling herself down again. Then one of her ears flipped up, and her eyes lit up in excitement. "I smell food!"

Five minutes later found Soumya trotting into the den, some sort of large carcass hanging out of his mouth. Joey averted his eyes and pointedly _didn't_ ask what it had once been.

"_Your_ turn to watch the kippies!" she crowed, before dipping her head to eat as the kirin dropped the piece of meat.

"…Excuse me, what?" Soumya asked after a moment, frowning.

Kankana blinked, then lifted her head, trying to speak around the mouthful of food she had. "…Well… Since we can't decide whether to call them 'puppies' or 'kits,' can't we call them both?"

The kirin's nose wrinkled in distaste. "…We'll call them 'puppies.'" He shot her a glare. "…Please don't call them that anymore. I'm already getting laughed at for mating with you; I don't need to add to their ammunition."

"Who's laughing at you for mating with me?!" she snarled, turning toward him as her hackles rose. "I swear to God, if it's because I'm an inugami and you're a kirin, I'll find them and I'll _kill them!_"

"I think it's time t' go," Joey stated, grabbing Joy and turning to go quickly. "Run away!"

"YOU'RE NOT ONE OF THEM THAT LAUGHS, ARE YOU!?!?!?!?!" Kankana screamed after him, and she would have followed, but for one of the kippies— Erm… But for one of the _puppies_ whimpering for food.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"I can't believe you shot spitballs at your teacher. You're more mature than that, Mokuba. …And a lot more devious."

"I _told_ you that they _framed me!_" the younger teen exclaimed, scowling. "I didn't do it!"

Seto rolled his eyes. "I'm sure."

"Look I _said—_Oh, screw it. I'm gonna go do my homework," Mokuba mumbled, storming past him.

The brunet was about to let him go, but remembered something very important. "Don't forget to turn your music up. Loud."

"Oh, God. Fine."

Seto smirked, then turned to go to his own room, beginning to purr when he realized that he didn't have to take as many cold showers as he had the past few days. That was the best news ever. Opening the door to his room, he raised an eyebrow, then leaned in the doorway to watch his mate.

Joey poked his stomach gently and frowned, then turned to the side to see if he'd grown any bigger. He knew in the back of his mind that he probably hadn't, but now that Kankana had said it, he wondered if Seto would still find him attractive as he progressed through his pregnancy. He rubbed his hand over his stomach and sighed, then turned and dropped his shirt in favor of placing his hands on his hips, wondering if they would really support having a baby; he'd always had girlish hips (and he _hated_ that), and it seemed that they'd be useful now.

The brunet smiled a little and shut the door again, then snuck up behind him and slid his arms around him. "Mine!"

"Oh-! God, don't do that!" the younger teen exclaimed, blushing. "Seto…"

Seto growled and began to kiss his neck, lightly catching the skin between his teeth and pulling before continuing down his shoulder. "Mm… I'll do what I like, when I like."

"Ah, Seto…" The blond tilted his head back and mewled softly. "Mn!"

He kissed the younger boy's neck for a few more moments, then stood up straight and gazed at him through the mirror. "What were you looking at, anyway?"

"…I… was just thinkin' about what I'd look like when I got fat," Joey answered softly, blush darkening. "…I'm gonna, ya know. I just wanna know if you'll still think I'm attractive or not…"

"I'll think you're attractive until the day I die, and I'm not just saying that," the brunet answered, nuzzling his neck. "When we mated the first time, your scent was imprinted in my mind. What you look like doesn't matter to me. If you're aroused, I can smell it; if you're not, I can _make_ you aroused. But I can promise you…" He began nibbling ad sucking on his earlobe. "…That if it's our child making you fat, I'll just take that much more pleasure in making love to you."

"Ah…" The blond frowned thoughtfully, then asked, "So if I dyed my hair black and got really, really tan, and got plastic surgery and ran away, you'd always be able to find me?"

Seto growled loudly and yanked him closer, taking it as a threat when it really hadn't been. "_Don't run from me._"

Joey gasped quietly and grabbed the arms holding his waist so tightly. "Oh God-! Seto, that hurts! I'd never actually _do_ it! …Too much work." He smiled a little and let his head fall back on the brunet's shoulder. "Besides… Puppy needs his dragon. And dragon would just give his puppy a spanking anyway."

The brunet gave him a rumble of approval and turned to throw him onto the bed.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

_OMG! A LEMON! …Yeah, you'll see something like this when it's over._

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey yelped as he nearly bounced off the bed, then frowned and looked back at him. "Seto, you're gonna make me fly off the bed one of these—_meep!_" He blushed as the Dragon Master leapt on top of him and bit his bottom lip when the bed shook as he landed on top of him. "Oh my God you're gonna break the bed!"

"I can pay to replace it," the brunet purred, then began to nuzzle and nip the crook of the blond's neck. "Something I can tie you to and keep you at my mercy." He smirked as the younger boy stiffened and rubbed his hip gently. "You like that, don't you? You want to be tied up as I make love to you for hours…"

The blond mewled weakly as the older boy palmed his growing erection through his pants. "S-S-Seto…" He arched his hips upward and gasped as the brunet gave his crotch a squeeze. "Uhn! Seto! Oh, God…!"

Seto sat up only long enough to strip the blond of his clothes, and he was pretty sure he heard his shirt rip on its way off. Then he caught the younger boy's wrists in one hand as the other slipped down to grasp his shaft. "Mmn, mine…"

"No-! Seto! Sex! Not hand job!" the blond whined, though he couldn't help rocking his hips in time with the older boy's hand. "Aaahhhh…! Please! Seto!"

The brunet smirked, then released the Golden One's wrists in favor of hooking his arm under one of his knees. "Mm, hey, it's been a while…"

Joey shook his head quickly but could only whimper as the brunet's other hand released his cock and his other leg was scooped upward. "No, please-! Ya know I don't—"

Seto slid the blond's legs upward to rest on his shoulders to free up his hands, catching the blond's for a moment as he nuzzled lovingly between the younger boy's cheeks before finding his entrance and licking at it. "Mm… I know you don't like it. That isn't going to stop me from doing it."

"Ooh!" The blond mewled as the older boy's tongue was thrust into him and squirmed a little, but the brunet's grip on him was too strong. "Ooh… Nn… Please…" He gasped as his hands were released and quickly reached down to catch his hair. "Ah…! Nyu! S-Seto!"

The brunet growled and thrust his tongue deeper, reaching around to grasp the blond's erection again and stroking it quickly. "Mmn… Mm—" He slurped loudly and smirked a little when the blond blushed brightly.

Joey squirmed a little at the slurp but could do little to push the Dragon Master away. "Oh… Oh, please… Yes…" He gasped and arched his back as the brunet's hand gripped his shaft tighter. "Oh! S-Seto!" He felt as helpless as a virgin, enjoying having his lover's tongue inside him and about to climax even though he really hadn't been stimulated long. Hell, he'd gone longer even a few days ago, but now… he was just so happy to have Seto making love to him—that Seto wasn't upset with him or dissatisfied—that he couldn't help himself.

Seto glanced up at the blond's face as he let out a shriek and stroked his shaft a few last times as he reached and went through his climax. He slurped again as he withdrew his tongue and sat up straight, allowing the blond's legs to fall back onto the bed.

The blond blushed as the older boy leaned over him and quickly averted his eyes. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"If I hadn't wanted you to come, puppy, I wouldn't have made you," the Dragon Master cooed, leaning down to kiss him softly.

Joey whimpered and reached up to grab his shirt, yanking at it pleadingly. "Please, Seto… Please…" He pulled at the buttons for a moment, then began unbuttoning his shirt. "Seto…"

"Hmm, someone's anxious." Seto smiled a little. "Was that quickie earlier just not enough for you, puppy? You want more."

The blond shot him a small glare, then huffed and crossed his arms. "If ya don't feel like it just tell me!"

"I feel like it. I just like that _you_ feel like it."

"Ya make no sense and I'm gonna get up and go if ya don't— Meep!" Joey squeaked as the brunet pressed his knees up by his ears as he leaned over him. "S-Seto!"

Seto purred and nuzzled his neck gently, reaching down to idly unbutton his pants. "Silly puppy. Did you think I'd really just let you go?"

"Nn-! Well ya weren't _doin'_ anything-!" the blond argued, only to squeak again as he felt his dragon's shaft pressing at his entrance. "Seto… Make up your mind…"

"You act as if we'll never have sex again. Relax. We have plenty of time," the brunet assured, sliding into him slowly. "I swear, you started acting weird ever since you mentioned that quickie. What's on your mind that's distracting you so much?"

Joey frowned, then looked away nervously. "…Should we have more than one kid?"

Seto froze, then sighed and pressed his forehead against the blond's shoulder. "…This is hardly the time to have this discussion, Joey."

"…Well can we have it afterward?" he asked softly, looking back up at him.

"_Yes,_ puppy, we can talk about it after we have sex." The brunet sighed again. "If we're even still in the mood for it. Damn…"

Joey frowned in concern, feeling a little guilty that he'd sprung the question on him so quickly. It truly hadn't been the time to ask, and… Seto had obviously been looking forward to this…

"…I'm sorry…" he whispered, biting his bottom lip.

Seto sighed and waved his concern away. "Never mind. We don't have to do it right now."

The blond blushed a little as he felt the older boy pulling out of him and grabbed his shoulders, clenching down on him as hard as he could. "Nn-!"

"Oh _fuck._ God, that almost hurt. What are you trying to do to me?!" the older boy exclaimed, glaring at him.

Joey gripped his shoulders tighter and closed his eyes. "Mmn…! I-I still want it! Please…!"

"You could've just _said_ so, you little vice…" Seto groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, then took a deep breath to try and relax. "Fuck… Oh, God…"

"D-did I hurt ya?" the blond asked nervously, relaxing immediately. "I didn't mean t'—Oh God what are ya doin'?!"

The older boy growled and rammed back into him, then began a gentler rhythm, leaning down to kiss and nip his neck. "I think you know very well what I'm doing."

Joey mewled and slid his arms around the brunet's back, digging his fingers into the cloth of his shirt. "I-I thought ya were m-m-mad—"

"I can't stay mad at a face that cute," Seto replied idly, still rocking his hips back and forth. "Besides… Now I can take my time."

"Nyu-! S-Seto! Aaahhhh…!" The blond arched his hips upward in time with his weakly, biting his bottom lip. "Mn! I-I—"

The brunet smiled and put a finger to his lips. "Shhh…"

"Nn!" Joey wondered how Seto could still hold a conversation with him while they were having sex, and still be so seductive and tender. He himself had been reduced to inarticulate, broken sentences and some loud keens. In the back of his mind, he realized that IT WASN'T FAIR and he was totally at the brunet's mercy. "Ah… Nn, Seto!"

Seto latched onto his throat and moaned quietly, reaching down to grasp the blond's erection again. His favorite part of sex was having the younger boy completely melted into a puddle of goo, so he could do whatever he wanted with him. So his expectations of working the blond into two or three rounds of love-making were shot to hell; he didn't really mind just one round and talk about the baby.

"Ah… Ahn… Se—Nn, Seto—Sto—Not y—" The blond keened loudly and arched his back, digging his nails into the fabric of the older boy's shirt as he reached another climax. "_Aha! Seto!_"

Ah, his puppy really way a mess. Moaning again, the brunet thrust into him a few more times before reaching his own climax. "Mm, puppy…"

Joey sighed as the brunet slumped on top of him, then reached up to idly play with his hair. He winced as he remembered that they'd nearly stopped just because he couldn't keep his mouth shut. "…I'm sorry. I almost ruined it."

"…Ruined what?" Seto asked, looking up at him.

The blond blushed. "…I… I almost ruined our love-makin'."

"…Oh, God…" Sighing, the older boy sat up and ran a hand through his hair tiredly, then lifted his gaze to the blond again. "Joey, the only way you could _ever_ ruin it was if you started screaming for me to stop. If you made me feel like a monster for touching you. If you slapped me away from you for even wanting to kiss you. I don't think you could ruin sex by asking a question that's really bothering you. Okay?"

Joey sighed as well, then nodded a little. "…Okay."

"Let me go get a towel so we can clean up, then we'll talk about your question a little more, okay?"

"…'kay…"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

_IT'S OVER. YOU CAN LOOK NOW. UNCOVER YOUR EYES._

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Once they'd gotten cleaned up and Seto had cuddled up beneath the covers with his mate, the brunet frowned and began petting his hair lovingly. "…So what was that about, anyway? Should we have more than one kid?"

Joey began fidgeting and bit his bottom lip. "…I… I was talkin' with Kankana, and she said she hoped that even if we had a girl on our first try, we'd have another baby, because pups aren't supposed to grow up alone. Seto, what if we do have a girl? Will ya want another baby?"

"…I won't lie. I'd be happy with just one child," the brunet replied, frowning. "But I also can't imagine that _you_ would be happy with just one child. And I don't think our daughter would want to be an only child, either. So… As long as you don't want, like, ten of them, I won't mind having more than one child."

"…Why would I ever want ten children?" the blond asked, looking up at him and raising an eyebrow. "I don't know if I'll want more than two."

Seto smirked and rubbed the blond's stomach. "But I'm sure you'll look so beautiful pregnant, puppy—"

"TAKE A PICTURE."

.-.-.-.-.-.

Codi tilted her head as she heard the noises drawing to a close, then smiled brightly as Seto walked in for a wet washcloth. _"See-toh!"_

Seto froze, eyes wide, before he turned to look at the two Petit Dragons perched on top of the fluffy toilet cover. "…Have you two been there the whole time?"

Joy smiled as well. _"Yees!"_

"…Right. …Go somewhere else next time, please," the brunet sighed, before he left the bathroom again.

Codi moved to follow, but grew concerned when she found Joy staring at her. Turning back to him, she tilted her head innocently. When she recognized the look, however, as the one Seto got right before he jumped his mate, she turned and flew from the room, shrieking until she got to the bed and wiggled underneath Joey's pillow.

Joey blinked in confusion, then looked down at where she'd disappeared in confusion. "…Codi?"

Joy flew out a moment later and did a few flips before he landed on the pillow with a soft 'thop.' _"Wee!"_ Then, he wriggled beneath the pillow as well.

Codi shrieked again and zipped out from under the pillow in favor of zooming out of the room at top speed. The other Petit dragon wriggled back out and flew after her, flipping every once in a while. He was obvious not in the same hurry Codi was.

Joey frowned. "…What the hell just happened?"

"…I'm going to pretend it never happened and take a nap before dinner," Seto replied, lying down. "There were no dragons squealing and chasing each other."

"…Shouldn't we be worried? …Seto? Seto, hey—Seto!"


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: I'm a horrible person and not answering your reviews again _I'm so sorry I'm going to hell. D__**:**_

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Joy flew out a moment later and did a few flips before he landed on the pillow with a soft 'thop.' "Wee!" Then, he wriggled beneath the pillow as well._

_Codi shrieked again and zipped out from under the pillow in favor of zooming out of the room at top speed. The other Petit dragon wriggled back out and flew after her, flipping every once in a while. He was obvious not in the same hurry Codi was._

_Joey frowned. "…What the hell just happened?"_

"…_I'm going to pretend it never happened and take a nap before dinner," Seto replied, lying down. "There were no dragons squealing and chasing each other."_

"…_Shouldn't we be worried? …Seto? Seto, hey—Seto!"_

Chapter 8

"Uhn-! Ah! Oh, _God!_"

Seto lifted his head and frowned. Those were usually the sounds his puppy made during— …certain activities. So why did he sound like he was in pain? Standing from his desk, he made his way to his lover's bedroom, where he had resolutely kept his clothes; he'd allowed Seto onto the bed with him in his own room, but not under the covers, and he reserved the right to banish him back to the rocking chair. However, Codi (when she wasn't fleeing frantically from Joy) seemed content with this arrangement. As long as Joey wasn't in his room (_alone_ especially), she was okay.

Tapping lightly on the door, he asked, "Puppy? Are you okay?"

"Uh-! Yeah, 'm fine!" he called back, then began grunting and muttering to himself again.

…He didn't _sound_ fine. Especially when he heard a soft, frustrated sob.

Silently turning the knob and inching the door open, the brunet peeked inside worriedly. When he found his mate on the bed, using his legs to force his hips up as he wrestled with the buttons on his pants, he frowned in concern and pushed the door open further. "…Puppy?"

Joey yipped in surprise and sat up quickly, blushing, then scowled. "I said I was fine!"

"…Puppy, you're crying." Seto walked over to him and tilted his head in confusion, reaching up to brush away the few tears that had made their ways down his cheeks. "What's wrong?"

The blond glared at the floor for a moment before letting out a sob and lunging forward to hug him. "My pants don't _fit_ anymore!"

The older boy blinked in confusion, then frowned. "…But, you're only like two months pregnant."

"Jace—Jace said—He said—Oh, God, I can't go around buyin' new clothes every month!"

Seto sighed and began to stroke his hair soothingly. "Buy as many clothes whenever you want, puppy. I have money to spend." He paused in thought, then softly added, "Jace said what?"

"H-he said that something went weird when I did it, and—and—" Joey sobbed quietly. "I got pregnant a month earlier, but he couldn't tell and—and now I'm gettin' _fat!_"

"…So… you're three months pregnant then? Making you due in… June? July?"

"J-July-ish. B-but now I can't fit in my favorite pants and I tried all of the jeans I own but none of them fit and—_I don't wanna wear a muumuu!_"

Seto winced slightly as the blond began to sob as if his heart had been broken. He decided he was _definitely_ in his third month of pregnancy, complete with mood swings. …He just hoped there wouldn't be any morning sickness, since he'd been lucky and hadn't had any yet. Because Joey _really _liked to eat.

"You don't have to wear a muumuu," the brunet replied soothingly, beginning to rub his back. "Just… just calm down, okay?"

Joey sniffled and sat back on the bed. "B-but what about when I get too big for regular clothes?!"

"…" Every nerve in his body was shouting at him to run away, before the blond _really_ started to cry, but luckily, his brain was in control. …Sort of. "…So… is something wrong with the baby, or…?"

"_No,_ nothin's wrong with the baby!" The blond glared at him momentarily before sobbing again. "It's just—usually it takes at least a month for a person to get pregnant, but I guess that's only if it's your first time actually _giving_ someone a female reproductive system. Since I gave the frank one, I guess—" He groaned and placed his hands on his stomach. "How 'm I s'posed to be able to participate in PE now?!"

"…Would it be safe for the baby for you to participate in PE…?"

Joey glared at him again and opened his mouth to make a scathing comment, but luckily for the Dragon Master, Codi was there to save the day. Cooing lovingly, she rubbed against the blond's belly, then smiled up at him brightly. _"Beebee!"_

The blond offered her his own watery smile. "Yeah. I'm havin' a baby." At that, his expression turned serious. "…I'm havin' a baby, Seto."

Seto frowned in concern. "…Yes, I know."

"I've got a little life growin' inside me…" The smile reappeared on his face. "I think… I think I like it." Then the smile was gone and was quickly replaced by horror as grabbed the brunet's shirt. "Seto! What if all our sex is traumatizin' the baby?!"

The brunet found it in his best interest to _not_ laugh, and instead smiled sweetly as he stroked the younger boy's cheek. "Silly puppy. It isn't even aware of _itself_ yet, let alone you." At the blond's disbelieving look, he chuckled. "Come on, I'll show you."

Joey allowed himself to be led from the room to the brunet's office, even though he was still sort of preoccupied with the horrifying thought that he was traumatizing his baby with sex. Poor innocent little baby would just be sitting there, and then all of the sudden this big fleshy harpoon pops out of nowhere—

Seto clicked on a few buttons on his laptop before turning the screen so the blond could see it. "See? The baby's about three inches long and weighs about an ounce."

Despite the joyous occasion, the blond's nose wrinkled slightly in disgust. "It looks like a baby kangaroo."

"…" The brunet blinked at him for a second, then chuckled and shook his head. "No. More like a baby seal without fur and a really big head."

Joey giggled quietly and sat down on the older boy's lap. "We shouldn't be makin' fun of our baby like this."

"Why not? It can't hear us." Seto rubbed the blond's slightly rounder stomach, then leaned his head against it and kissed it gently.

The younger boy blushed a little and dug his fingers into the brunet's hair but didn't immediately shove him away. "Seto… Hey, those look like links. Can we click 'em?"

The brunet glanced back at the screen, then drifted his mouse over the blue words. "…Looks like a little more information on the development. The baby's scalp is forming, but isn't growing any hair yet. Circulatory system is working—pumps up to twenty-five quarts of blood a day. Ah, it's starting to form toenails."

Joey clasped his hands together and squealed joyfully. "My baby's gettin' _toenails!_"

"Mm, yes, and it's got fingers and eyes. It should be able to sense light now—if we shine a flashlight on your tummy, it should move away from the light." He nuzzled the blond's stomach again and smiled, then began to kiss and lick the small baby bump lovingly.

The blond shivered pleasantly and tightened his grip on the older boy's hair. "Ah… S-Seto, ya sound like you've r-really read up on this…!"

"I have. I wanted to understand what was going on with your body, and… what I could… _do_ with you." Seto blushed a little and looked away from him. "I was… I was worried at first, when I read that it was okay to make love to you but only after the first trimester. I went to go see Jace to see if I could be hurting the baby, but he said that's only true with female pregnancies because they don't have the protective sac that men do; in place of an actual uterus, you get… that… thing…" His blush darkened a little. "…So having sex is okay."

Joey tilted his head in surprise, then smiled and leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Seto, you're such a big softie."

"I am not." The brunet scowled at him. "And I'm _not_ romantic either, so stop telling your friends that I am!"

"But Seto, you brought me breakfast in bed the other day," the blond cooed, only to let out a startled yip as the older boy gave him a quick swat. "Ouchies!"

"I hired someone to make that for me. Besides, you bring it upon yourself," Seto retorted, scowling, but the expression soon faded as he began nuzzling the blond's stomach again. "Silly puppy. Why don't you call a few of your friends—"

"—_Our_ friends."

"—And invite them to go shopping with you so you can get some pants that fit. Buy some other things for yourself if you want. Actually…" The brunet looked up at him and began to purr, eyes glowing lecherously. "…If you want to pick up something special and wear it for me, I wouldn't mind. Perhaps some lingerie?"

Joey blushed brightly. "W-w-wha!"

"Lacy. I think you'd look good in lace." Eyes glowing brighter, the Dragon Master grinned. "In red or black. Personally, I think you'd look sexier in black. But if red is the only thing you can find, I'm sure I won't be able to complain, anyway."

"I-I-I—" The blond sputtered for a few moments, then quickly stood up. "I can't believe you!"

Seto grinned as he watched the blond retreat—his grin got even bigger as he heard his door slam—and leaned back in his seat. He was pretty sure his puppy would be coming home with some women's nightwear. Sure, he may have acted offended, but his puppy was pretty impressionable—and he wasn't against doing something _too_ outrageous to make his precious people happy.

And he _had_ lost a bet to him the other day.

He frowned slightly as he remembered Codi's intervention, with her adorable 'beebee,' but… Where was Joy? And where had Codi disappeared to after her short appearance?

His question was answered when he heard a shriek, and a little yellow flash zipped by his open door. A few moments later, Joy came loopty-looping past, humming to himself as he chased after her.

He really needed to do something about that dragon.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"…I don't think you're fat," Téa stated, frowning. "In fact, I think you look good for someone two months pregnant."

"I'm three months pregnant," Joey deadpanned, then lifted his shirt to show that his pants remained unbuttoned and only halfway zipped. "And my pants are chafin' me."

Yugi tilted his head in confusion. "Didn't you say it took at least a month to get pregnant?"

"Well, yeah, but only if it's your first time givin' somethin' a female reproductive system! I gave the frank one, first! So guess who got pregnant within days of gettin' the parts necessary for it!" the blond exclaimed, crossing his arms and scowling. His expression soon faded into a tired but happy grin. "It's growin' _toenails_ now! And it's got _fingers!_"

Yugi and Téa squealed excitedly. Ryou merely smiled, then reached out to touch his stomach. He hesitated and looked up at the blond questioningly. When he nodded, he placed his hand on his stomach and rubbed it gently. "When does the baby start kicking?"

"Seto said that I probably won't be able t' tell until the forth month, even though it's gonna have started moving already. Though, personally, I think it's practicin' for Cirque de Soleil already! Maybe I'm more sensitive to it because it's not in the same place as it would normally be in a girl, but I'm pretty sure what I'm feelin' ain't cramps, hunger, or gas!" He giggled quietly. "I wonder if it's gonna be a girl or a boy, though. I'm tired of callin' it a— …Well, an it."

"…Let's call it 'pookie,'" Téa suggested, poking his stomach lightly. "Unlike Kaiba, it can't give you a dirty look, and pookie can be used for a boy _or_ a girl."

Yugi blinked at his friend for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. "Well, 'pookie' _does_ sound better than 'it.'"

"Fine!" Joey smiled. "Baby, I declare you 'pookie!'" He blinked for a moment, then chuckled. "At least until I see the look on Seto's face when I call ya that."

Ryou laughed as well. "I imagine it will go something like this." And then he did a cross between a grimace and a horrified stare.

And then any hope at being serious died as they all burst into laughter.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joy had put a little more effort into his… 'wooing.' Instead of loopty-looping, he was flapping after Codi in a straight, slightly more urgent line. He still hummed cheerfully though. …There was something a little alarming about that.

This, of course, led to Seto's current condition of running after the two dragons, trying desperately to grab Joy so that Codi could take a break; he didn't want her little heart to pop from her efforts. Leaping up for another attempt of grabbing at the little dragon, he let out a cry of triumph as his hands closed around him.

Joy squealed in distress. _"Kee-dee! __**Kee-dee!**__"_

Codi did not look back. _"Theenks!"_

Seto tripped as he hit the ground again, grunting as he turned to keep from crushing the poor dragon. He let out another grunt as he hit the ground and mumbled a curse. Joy looked appalled that he would foil his attempts at obtaining a mate and began squeaking at him angrily. The brunet sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration, then rolled onto his back.

"…Joy, you are _not_ winning any points with Codi by chasing her around. Just give her time to get used to you. …You're a bit exuberant and she's a bit shy, if you haven't noticed."

The tiny dragon seemed to consider this, then made a face and sound along the lines of a careless 'nah' as he shrugged. _"Me meet! Me meet!"_

"She is _not_ your mate yet," the brunet stated sharply, then sighed and released him, figuring that Codi had had a decent head start. Joy zipped off in the general direction she had gone, squealing and squeaking, leaving the teen to stay on the floor, watching him go.

Once the dragon had gotten out of sight, Seto ran his hand through his hair again tiredly. "God. You're going to be the death of me." But he needed a dragon around, and he had a feeling that where Codi was, Joy would refuse to leave.

…He hadn't visited Kaii in a while.

Standing up, the brunet went to his room and stared at the book that had started all of this madness six months ago. He'd only been in twice before without his mate, and that was only to talk to Soumya. Would Joey be mad if he went to go visit Kaii without him? …Well, he didn't exactly want to wait for him to get back from shopping. With Téa and Yugi there, he was bound to be shopping forever. If he was lucky, Ryou would go with them and usher them out of the stores before closing.

It didn't take long to make that decision.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto couldn't help a smile as he was greeted by a delighted squeal, and seconds later, the little black kit came rushing out of the den toward him, waddling adorably. "Well, look at you. Your waddle looks more balanced."

Kaii squealed again and reached his arms upward, making grabbing motions with his claws. The brunet chuckled and lifted the kit into his arms. "Ooh, you're getting big!" He tucked one of his arms under the little dragon's rear to keep him up and gently stroked down his neck. "I won't be able to pick you up soon." He chuckled quietly. "And then you'll be able to pick up me."

"_**Maybe in twenty or thirty years. You'll have a child by then that he can play with,"**_ Kisara stated, an amused lilt to her voice as she leaned over him from behind. _**"He's been missing you. He always asks his mama 'when is Papa coming?' When I tell Joey what he's asked, he just sighs and gives him a hug. Last time he almost cried."**_

Seto grimaced. "…I've been busy. I'm sorry." He nuzzled Kaii's head gently. "If it makes you feel better, I've missed you too." He smiled sadly as the kit began to purr. "I've just been a little busy trying to get things in order for when Joey gives birth. I want to take a few months off. I guess my plans to open a dueling academy are going to have to wait until your younger sibling is older," he sighed, then frowned when both the kit and its foster mother blinked at him expectantly. "…What?"

"_**You can't just drop a bomb like a dueling academy on us and then not elaborate!"**_ the female exclaimed, scowling at him. Kaii squealed and nodded his agreement.

The brunet sighed, then chuckled quietly and sat down, settling the kit in his lap. "I've noticed that a lot of good duelists' grades start to drop whenever a tournament comes around. I mostly noticed it when I saw Joey struggling with his homework during the district competition, when usually he doesn't have too much trouble. I mean, sure, he still has trouble, but not as much as he does when he's in a tournament. That got me curious, so I looked at Yugi and Ryou's grades, too, and a few other major duelists. Same pattern.

"I want them to be able to graduate with higher grades, because—Well…" He frowned in thought. "…I'm not really sure what everyone wants to do after they graduate. I know Gardener is going to study dance in New York. Yugi will probably help out more at his grandfather's shop and take some classes at DCC. …I don't even know what Joey wants to do. He just kind of jumped into 'settle down, marry, have children.' I know he won't be happy being a stay-at-home mother, especially when the baby's old enough for school."

"_**What is DCC?"**_

"Domino Community College. It's cheap, and they can't really turn you away if you pay them." Seto sighed and rubbed the ridge between Kaii's eyes up to the bump that would form his first spike along his ridged back. "I wonder if that's what Joey will want to do, or whether he'll wait until the baby's old enough that he has some free time."

Kaii squealed worriedly.

The brunet chuckled again. "Don't worry, I'm sure Joey will bring the baby here often." He paused in thought, then tilted his head. "Kaii, what do you think about having two younger siblings?"

The kit began bouncing excitedly, squealing his consent as his tail wagged. This wasn't enough, however, to contain his joy; leaping off his father's lap, he began galloping in little circles, nearly tossing himself onto his side a dozen times as his tail continued to wag and throw him off balance.

Seto scratched the back of his head and smiled wryly. "I guess you'd be happy with two siblings."

"_**Of course he would,"**_ Kisara cut in, frowning at him. _**"Dragons are usually born in nests of at least five or six, if not more. They're not supposed to grow up as single children. Even Petit Dragons have two eggs normally, and larger dragons have a great deal more."**_ She grimaced. _**"Hence the insane amount of kits in our den. We've decided that there need to be two of us there at all times, and Akai takes turns with us so that none of us are hogging him. I have no idea how Joy did it all alone!"**_

"…Kisara? Did it… hurt, when you…" The brunet blushed and leaned his face into his hand in embarrassment. "…laid… the eggs…?"

"_**Of course it hurt, you fool!"**_ she snapped, scowling. _**"Did you see how big those eggs were?!"**_

Seto sighed. "…How is Joey supposed to be able to have his baby, then? I can't imagine—"

"Well there's a reason Jace will be there," Soumya stated, trotting out of the forest. The gray kit with purple eyes had his tail firmly grasped in its jaws. "Then he'll sign a birth certificate and you can use that for all of the things necessary in your world." He looked up at Kisara apologetically. "It's so normal for her to be there that I sometimes forget she's there. …The hell hounds are starting to call me 'dragon butt.'"

The white dragon scowled. _**"Ibia!"**_ Snatching the kit's tail in her mouth, she stood up and stomped into the den.

Soumya smiled and waved at the squealing kit before turning to the brunet. "…You saw nothing here," he added, then began trotting away.

Seto raised an eyebrow and watched him go, then looked at the kit blinking innocently at him. "…Between you and me, we saw _everything,_" he stated, and Kaii cooed his acquiescence.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey dropped his bags and groaned, sagging onto the couch in exhaustion. "Stupid Téa and her stupid girly shopper-ness."

"Darling, I think you underestimate just how much of a shopper you are yourself," Seto replied, coming up behind him to place a kiss on top of his head. "I went to go see Kaii today."

Instead of being miffed that he'd gone without him, like he'd expected him to be, the blond smiled sweetly. "Was he just bouncin' with joy t' see ya? He's been askin' about ya!"

Seto winced a little and rubbed the back of his head. "Yes, I heard about that. I'm sorry I haven't gone with you. I've just been so busy trying to get some work out of the way so I could take a few months off when the baby comes. I didn't mean to—"

Joey squealed happily and grabbed the back of his head to drag him into a kiss. When he allowed the brunet to pull away, he smiled brightly. "You're so sweet! I thought maybe you'd take a week off or somethin', but a few _months!_ I could just _die_ I'm so happy!"

"…Please don't." The brunet couldn't help a smile as well when he realized the younger boy was practically glowing with excitement. …Well, now he'd either have to double it or suck it all away. "I asked Kaii how he'd feel about having two younger siblings," he added, and the blond tilted his head inquisitively.

"Oh? I've been meanin' to ask him, but I always get distracted by how cute he is."

"…Yeah. He nearly tripped over himself saying yes, because he was so excited." The older boy reached out to stroke the blond's hair and offered a lopsided smile. "Kisara said that kits were used to being in big nests. It had never occurred to me before. I guess it makes sense, but… That means going through pregnancy all over again. Are you okay with that?"

Joey tilted his head thoughtfully, then nodded. "Yes, I suppose. I couldn't really imagine havin' an only child, anyway. And remember—we hafta try for a girl."

"Right." Seto played with the blond's hair as they both took a few moments to chew over the information they'd given each other. After another minute or so, he dipped his head to kiss him again. "I love you more than words could ever say. You know that, don't you, puppy?"

The blond blushed and nodded bashfully, then giggled. "I love you more."

"Oh, so it's one of those games, is it?" the older boy asked, smirking, then rolled his eyes and stood up straight. "Well, I love you the most, so you can't really beat that."

"I dunno… Would ya wear women's nightclothes t' make me happy? Because I think I win then," the blond drawled, pointing to one of the bags. "Perverted bastard."

Seto raised an eyebrow at the four large, stuffed bags. "What all did you _get?_ I can't imagine that all of those bags are full of jeans and a nightie."

Joey squeaked gleefully and dove for the nearest bag. "Seto, look at this!"

The brunet blinked in surprise as he was shown a little pair of footie-pajamas with a hood. "…I… am amazed because of…?"

The younger boy scowled at him, then flipped the hood over so he could see the top. This was immediately followed by another excited smile. "Blue-Eyes jammies!"

"…No way." Taking the pajamas from his mate's hands (who giggled and began rummaging in the bag again), he eyed it skeptically, then couldn't help a smile of his own. His puppy really was too sweet sometimes.

Not to mention that the _real_ Blue-Eyes would probably go into fits of girlish joy at seeing their master's baby dressed up to look like them.

Joey stood up again and held up a big, thick baby blanket with a chibi Blue-Eyes and a chibi Red-Eyes curled up together, with a soft yellow background and little pictures of dragon eggs. "Look at this! Isn't it just adorable?! I almost wanna keep it for myself!" he exclaimed, hugging the blanket and nuzzling it. "It's so soft!"

Seto chuckled and laid the pajamas over the back of the couch. "Could've bought a second one."

"Nah uh, this was the last one! I didn't wanna get the one with Kuriboh on it!" the blond gasped softly in realization. "But they had a bunch of Scapegoat blankets. I should go back and get one of those!"

"Maybe tomorrow," the brunet suggested, smiling, as the younger boy threw the blanket at him and began rummaging through the bag again. "How much of that stuff is for the baby, anyway? We don't even know if it's a boy or girl."

"That's why I got a bunch of stuff that a boy _or_ girl could like!" Joey rolled his eyes. "Besides, it's not as if Pookie's just gonna look at the stuff and start screaming because it's not for the right gender!"

"Right, ri—What?" Seto blinked at him in confusion. "…Excuse me, _what_ did you just call our child?"

The blond turned to smile at him again. "_Well,_ we all decided that we didn't like calling the baby an it anymore, so Téa suggested we call it 'pookie' because _you_ don't seem to like being called that and the baby doesn't care either way!"

"…We'll have to ask Jace when we can find out if it's a boy or girl,"

"Psh! You just don't like the name!" the younger boy argued, waving a hand at him, before squealing again and holding up a Baby Dragon bib. "Look at it!"

The brunet chuckled and shook his head. "Well, if it's a boy, he's certainly going to be a Dragon Master."

"Yeah! And—Ooh, we need to get a crib, and a little—what are those things called, with the wires and the—_mobiles!_ We need to get a mobile! One that plays music! And some stuffed animals! We _need_ stuffed animals! And not just Duel Monsters stuff, either, I mean some real animals, like bears or horses or something."

Seto smiled a little and leaned on the back of the couch. "What about a puppy?"

"Yeah, puppies to—Hey…" Joey looked up at him and frowned. "You makin' fun of me?"

"What? Why would I do that?" the brunet asked innocently, then tilted his head. "What's for dinner?"

"I dunno if I _wanna_ cook dinner for ya," the younger boy complained, crossing his arms as he pouted at him. "You're bein' mean."

Seto sighed, then smiled a little and turned. "Fine. I guess _I'll_ cook something, then."

Joey squeaked and dropped the bag he was holding, rushing to overtake him and make it to the kitchen first. "No I'll cook please don't try again!"

"I only caused a little smoke damage last time!" the brunet exclaimed, frowning, then shrugged in defeat. Well, at least he could _watch_ Joey cook.

"_Meeeeeee!"_

Sighing, the brunet hung his head, then turned to go help Codi; it appeared Joy had nearly cornered her again.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: OMG! A lemon? Really!? Yeah, this is a real lemony story, sorry. -_-; *sigh* Anywho. I'll warn you when you come to it. Don't worry.

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

"_I dunno if I __**wanna**__ cook dinner for ya," the younger boy complained, crossing his arms as he pouted at him. "You're bein' mean."_

_Seto sighed, then smiled a little and turned. "Fine. I guess __**I'll**__ cook something, then."_

_Joey squeaked and dropped the bag he was holding, rushing to overtake him and make it to the kitchen first. "No I'll cook please don't try again!"_

"_I only caused a little smoke damage last time!" the brunet exclaimed, frowning, then shrugged in defeat. Well, at least he could __**watch**__ Joey cook._

"_**Meeeeeee!"**_

_Sighing, the brunet hung his head, then turned to go help Codi; it appeared Joy had nearly cornered her again._

Chapter 9

"Joey? What are you going to do after you graduate?"

Joey blinked in surprise, then frowned and looked up from his sketchbook to see his lover gazing at him in concern. "…I'm gonna take care of the baby. 'm not lettin' some _nanny_ take care of _my _baby."

"What about when the baby's old enough for school?" Seto asked, coming over to sit beside him on the couch. "—Both of them, if we have two. What will you do all day when they're at school? When they're old enough to take care of themselves?"

"…I…" The blond frowned and looked down at the floor in from of him. "…I hadn't thought about that." He doodled a small circle on the corner of the page, then looked back up at his lover and sighed. "I don't wanna deal with anymore school, Seto."

He nodded slowly, then leaned his head on the blond's shoulder and sighed. After a moment, he lifted his hand to play with the younger boy's hair. "You know that I'll support you in whatever you decide to do, right? You're one of my precious persons and I want you to be happy."

"…I'll probably just work on my paintin' while they're gone. I won't get much sketchin' or paintin' done between Mythaven and them, right?" The blond smiled a little and placed his hand on his stomach. "Not that I'll mind too much. …Hey! Do ya think you could get Soumya t' take a family picture so I could sketch it and make a paintin' for them? I asked him, but he went all rabid weasel on me and yelled that the 'picture box' would steal their souls."

"…I knew he was _ancient._" Sighing, Seto sat up and shook his head. "I'll see what I can do. …What did Kankana say when you mentioned it?"

"She thought it was a nice idea. You should've seen the look on her face when Soumya said that! She thought he'd meant like some of the talismans people used t' use to banish them and got nervous, then realized what he was sayin' and slapped him with her tail. Ya should've been there, Seto! It was hilarious! Did you know her tail's strong enough t' actually make Soumya stumble?" Joey asked, smiling brightly. "And next week, durin' break, I'm gonna see if I can fix her leg! Just so she'll be able to chase the puppies better, of course, when they're old enough to move around."

The brunet snorted and rolled his eyes. "I see. Well, while you're fixing up Kankana, I'll see what I can do about Soumya, and then we can go see Kaii. Maybe even check with Jace to see what gender the baby is. …And to ask how the hell he's going to sign a birth certificate with no hands."

Joey squealed and leapt on top of him, mindless of his sketchbook. "Seto, I love you!"

"Ah, Joey, watch what you're doing! P-pencil! You're going to stab me with your pencil!"

Any further puppy wuvins that Seto would have received, however, were brought abruptly to an end when Codi shot down his shirt in an attempt to escape. Joy was soon to follow. The blond squealed again and tried to yank them out, but they wriggled about too quickly for him to get a good grip on them. Growing frantic because it tickled and he didn't even want to _think_ of what Joy would do if he caught Codi, he began to strip his shirt off quickly.

Seto could only sit, watch and try not to laugh his ass off.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Hey! Who wants to see Soumya freak out?" Joey asked cheerfully.

Yami raised an eyebrow. "…And how would you make Soumya freak out, short of attacking his mate or children?" He jerked backward as something flashed, blinding him, and let out a stream of Egyptian curses as he fell of the stool he'd been sitting on.

Seto smirked as he looked down at the stunned-looking picture of the former spirit, then turned the camera off. "He thinks that someone getting a picture taken will lose their soul. I plan to milk it for everything it's worth."

"…Well, we _did_ miss our double date this week," Yugi admitted, frowning. "Sorry about that; Yami welded the toaster to the door and we couldn't get it open."

"How'd he weld a toaster to the door?" the blond asked in confusion, then hurriedly waved his hands. "Never mind. Seto sent one of the maids to the hospital the other day. I have no room to talk. …So let's go to Mythaven together!"

"…Okay."

Joey cheerfully slapped the book down on the counter and flipped it open. There was a flash, and then they were stumbling into Mythaven, right in front of the entrance to Den.

Tlipo was there to greet them. Sort of.

"_Get eet! Get eet!_" he shrieked, startling each of the humans. "_Get eet!!!!!_"

Looking down in confusion, they realized he meant the bright green… thing. It looked sort of like a poodle, with the tufts of hair on its ankles, chest, and the poof at the end of its wagging tail. And it was _fast._

Yami let out a decidedly unmanly shriek and jumped on top of Seto. Seto promptly shoved him off. Yugi picked up the green thing.

Yugi and Joey squealed. "_Oh my God!_ It's so _cute!_"

It had a little button nose, and big, flappy erect ears with little tufts of fur at the tips. And big blue eyes. Most franks had green eyes. Blue was different—almost shockingly so—and they immediately wanted to smother it with hugs and kisses.

"I'd like eet back," Tlipo stated, though his tail waved in greeting. "Frankie eez at her weet's end—and we only have two."

"Two? Aw, what color is the other one?" Joey asked, patting the little chupa-frank gently on the head.

"Eet's yellow. …I'd like eet back."

Pouting, they gave the… baby back, but they couldn't help cooing at how cute Tlipo and the baby looked as he carried it back into Den by the scruff of its neck.

Seto and Yami decided that they didn't like them paying so much attention to something else, but wisely kept their opinions to themselves. After a few moments of awkward silence, Joey began into Den. "Well, let's go see Soumya!"

"I have to admit, I almost feel bad for him," Yugi stated after a glance at Seto, who was smirking in a decidedly mean way.

"…Don't," Joey replied, still a little miffed by the whole '_no_-you-can't-take-a-picture-of-my-babies-and-steal-their-souls-you-_monster_' thing. He was only slightly appeased by Kankana's tail-slap, after all.

As soon as they got one tunnel deep into Den, they were met with one righteously pissed inugami.

"_They call me a disabled COW!!!!!_" Kankana roared, hackles rising. "Do I look like a cow? DO I LOOK DISABLED?!"

"I-I-I—" the blond began, stunned, and was relieved when his mate came to his rescue.

"I think your puppies are crying," Seto stated, sliding an arm around the blond's waist.

She gasped, then turned and scampered away. "_Mommy's coming, babies!_"

"…I do _not_ want to be that frazzled after I give birth," Joey stated, frowning.

"…No offense, Joey, but you're not having five at once," Yugi stated, smiling a little.

Yami nodded. "And you're not mated with a kirin."

"And I don't think anyone's going to call you a disabled cow."

The blond stared at them for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. "You guys sure know how to make someone feel all cuddly warm."

"Let's go find Soumya. I want to see him suffer."

"…Seto, you're horrible."

"…Revenge."

Joey scowled at him. "For what?" But then he heard some soft whimpers, and he rushed into Kankana's personal den, dragging Yugi behind him. "You'll never believe how cute they are, Yug', it's almost impossible!"

A high-pitched 'squee' a few minutes later confirmed that the puppies were, in fact, that cute.

Yami and Seto sighed and followed them inside.

Soumya narrowed his eyes and huffed. "As if this den wasn't already packed enough."

Seto raised an eyebrow at him, then glanced down at the camera in his hand and turned it on. "Hey, Soumya, look here a minute."

"Why?" the kirin asked, looking up at him, only to let out a high-pitched (*cough* girly *cough*) shriek as a bright light flashed in his face and sprang back. "Ack! What are you trying to do?!"

"I do appear to have your soul," the brunet commented, then turned the screen so Yami could see. "Do you think I caught all of it?"

The former pharaoh eyed the photo of the stunned kirin critically, then nodded. "I would think so. You've caught his essence as well."

Soumya blinked at them in horror, then scowled, snorting out some smoke. "…Everybody's a comedian," he growled, then turned and stalked from the den.

Joey frowned as he watched him leave, then looked up at Kankana in concern. "Kankana, is somethin' wrong with Soumya?"

She licked the pup in front of her slowly, brows drawing together. "…I'm not sure. He's just been very uptight lately. I can't tell if it's because he has to hunt for me and he doesn't want to—because he's vegetarian—or because he's… ashamed of mating with me."

"Ashamed of mating with you?!" Yugi exclaimed, looking appalled. "Joey, you said that Soumya had been pining for her for years!"

"He _did!_" the blond replied defensively, then looked at his mate for help. It was not forthcoming. "…You unhelpful _bastard._"

Yugi raised an eyebrow as he turned and found both Seto and Yami still chuckling over the picture. "…At least they're getting along."

"…It figures they'd get along t' make fun of someone else."

"What a way to talk about your mates," Kankana stated blandly, then sighed and shook her head. "Did you want to try making my leg work again, or did you want to coddle my pups?"

Joey smiled sweetly. "Well, in all fairness, I'd rather coddle your pups—"

"_Ha, ha, __**ha.**_ Fix my leg please." She glared at him sternly.

The blond sighed and stood up as well (the pup he'd been petting whimpered in protest), then frowned. "I don't know if this is for sure gonna work. Ya know that, right?"

"I have five pups, Joey. I will try _anything_ you offer. …Grow me a fifth leg," Kankana suggested, and a tone of exhaustion could be heard in her usually firm voice.

"…Okay, I'll try." Unwrapping the bandage holding it out of her way, he rested his hands on either side of the inugami's leg and tried to focus on bringing the limp appendage back to life—or at least to some semblance of usefulness.

She shot Seto and Yami a scathing glare. "Bring back my mate, please."

"I think we should let him stew for a while," Yami replied, shrugging.

"I think I should bite a certain part of you off so you realize how serious I am."

"…We shall return momentarily," Seto stated after a few minutes, then dragged the other man out with him.

Kankana narrowed her eyes. "I'm glad to see they know who wears the pants in this family."

Joey snorted. "You mean you?"

"You should have seen the look your friend gave him," she retorted, then frowned. "Is it working?"

"I don't know! It's _your_ leg!"

"Oh. …I knew that."

.-.-.-.-.-.

Yami and Seto found the sulking kirin just outside Den, shoulders hunched as he sat staring at nothing. However, he seemed to be giving off waves of 'don't-touch-me' vibes.

Then again, Yami and Seto were used to ignoring those.

"What's wrong? You're usually more confrontational," Seto commented, crossing his arms.

Soumya heaved a tired sigh. "…I'm tired of being called a freak for mating with Kankana, or a selfish snake—I've even been accused of trying to gain control over Mythaven by trying to manipulate the Mother of Den," he replied bitterly, turning angry, helpless red eyes on them. "They said I'd use her to get the Golden One under my power, never mind the fact that the Golden One's mate is a _Dragon_ _Master_ and could force me to stop. I try not to listen, but sometimes… I can't help it."

"Well, it's obviously not true," Yami stated, rolling his eyes. "I mean, it's obvious that Kankana wears the pants in your family. …Figuratively speaking, of course."

The kirin blinked at him for a moment. "…Thanks?"

"What he's trying to say is, you have nothing to worry about. If they try teasing you, point out that Tlipo mated with a frank," Seto explained.

The former spirit frowned. "…That's not what I was trying to say at all."

"It sounded better than saying he's a pussy," the brunet replied, rolling his eyes.

Soumya nodded a little. "…This is true."

"That wasn't what I was saying _either._" Yami probably would have continued, but a golden red blur suddenly zipped past them in favor of slamming against the dragon-deer and tumbling to the ground with him.

"Look! Look! I can _move_ it again!" Kankana exclaimed, slapping her paw against his face. "You won't have to chase after the pups alone anymore! You won't have to run errands for me anymore! But the best part is, you won't have to _hunt_ for me anymore!" At that, she began cackling and galloped back inside.

Soumya blinked in confusion. "…What just happened?"

"…It appears that Joey fixed Kankana's leg," Seto replied blandly. "Yay."

Yami frowned and looked up at him. "Why didn't Joey try before?"

"Well, Kankana didn't particularly care until Soumya had to start getting her meals for her," the brunet explained. "Kirin's are vegetarians, and they don't like killing things. Soumya may have just scavenged things for her, but she still felt badly about it. Then, when she told Joey, he said he wanted to research how a dog's muscle and bone structures differed from our own before he tried anything."

"So they did it for me?" Soumya couldn't help feeling pleased about that. Usually, Kankana was teasing him or being flippant, and it was hard to tell she cared sometimes.

It was always the little things they did that made them special.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"…Where'd they go?" Seto asked after a moment, staring at the place Joey and Yugi had been sitting before they'd been sent out after Soumya.

Kankana smiled brightly and trotted past both he and Yami, tail waving jovially. "Well, Joey said that you'd be happy to watch the pups while Soumya and I go out for a run together. Yugi agreed."

Yami's mouth fell open, and his throat began working to speak, but all that came out was a high-pitched squeak. "—!!!"

"Now, the pups have had their meal, and they should stay asleep until we get back," she continued, nearly bouncing in her excitement. "But if they wake up, you just rub their bellies until they go back to sleep. Joey and Yugi said there'd be a reward if you did." Her smile faded a little in confusion. "Joey mentioned something about red and black lace and Yugi just said 'whipped cream.'"

Seto and Yami glanced at each other before promptly sitting down and nodding their acquiescence.

Kankana wondered what she'd said that had warranted such a reaction.

* * *

_ZOMG! A lemon! __**:**__D Enjoy or skip!_

* * *

Joey plucked anxiously at the black lace hemming the sheer red nightdress and hoped Seto would like it; he'd made it a point that he wouldn't see it when he put it away. He just wondered why Seto enjoyed seeing him in women's night clothes. Seto had made it clear that he wasn't attracted to women—too many had thrown themselves at him as he'd grown up—and he very much enjoyed the fact that his mate was, in fact, male. That didn't explain why he was so keen on seeing him wear girl's clothes.

He gasped quietly as a pair of arms slid around his waist only to moan as the brunet he'd been thinking about buried his face in his neck and began nipping and sucking roughly. "Seto…"

Seto growled and dug his fingers into the blond's side, rubbing it roughly as he lifted his mouth to attack his earlobe. "God, you did it. You really did it. _Fuck._" He snarled and slid his hand up the younger boy's nightdress. "Do you know how tempted I was to abandon those pups and come straight home to pound you into the bed?"

"A-ah… Se-Seto…!" Joey mewled and squirmed a little. "W-why? Y-you don't like girls or anything, s-so why-?"

"Because when you wear _pants,_ I can't shove them up out of my way and take you whenever I want." He paused, then leaned back and smirked, taking the time to really look at his nightgown. "Mm, red _and_ black. If I could, I'd make you wear this every night." He chuckled quietly. "But then I'd make love to you every night, too."

"Ah-!" Joey wiggled in the brunet's grip a little, then lunged for the bed, squeaking as the older boy roared and leapt after him. "Jeez, Seto, calm down!"

Seto yanked the blond onto his back and crushed their mouths together, hands grabbing at any piece of bare flesh he could get. "Mm, mine!"

"Ahn!" The younger boy whimpered and spread his legs quickly, hooking them over the brunet's hips and yanking him closer. "Oh, Seto!"

The brunet grabbed the smaller teen's panties and hummed in approval as he glanced down and saw more lace. His hum was followed by a startled squeak as he was rolled onto his back, but any frustration or annoyance was quelled with curiosity as the blond began to pull at his pants. Lifting his hips to allow his pants down, a purr escaped his throat when he realized his pup wanted to be on top. "Is puppy feeling feisty tonight?"

"Dragon's going too slow," Joey replied, pouting a little, before ripping the brunet's shirt open and dipping his head to catch one of his nipples between his lips.

Seto groaned and dug his fingers into the younger boy's hair, gasping quietly when the pup gave him a playful nip. "Oh, fuck! Puppy-!" He reached quickly to grab at the blond's panties, moaning as he slipped a couple fingers inside of him easily. "God, you know how much it turns me on when you prepare yourself…"

"Nn-! Ooh! Oooh…" The blond mewled and arched back onto his fingers, digging his nails into the older boy's chest lightly. "S-Seto…!" He whimpered and reached back to grab the brunet's cock, stroking it a couple times frantically before his mate removed his fingers and helped position him over it. "Ah… Nn, Seto… Ooh…"

The older boy purred lovingly and grabbed the blond's hips, gently lifting him before yanking him back down. "Mm, puppy…"

Joey moaned quietly and closed his eyes, rocking his hips up and down slowly as the dragon beneath him purred and growled in approval. "Seto…" He gasped as the older boy dragged his nails down his back to cup his ass cheeks and arched his back, moaning loudly. "Yeees…! S-Seto! Seto, I-I—" He gasped against when he was yanked down harder and let out a helpless sob. "Oh, God, _Seto!_"

Seto purred louder and sat up, pulling his mate into a languid kiss. "Mmn… Puppy…"

"Nyu-! Oh, Seto…" The blond wrapped his arms around his neck and groaned, breath hitching as the older boy grasped his erection and began stroking it quickly. "Nn! Seto, I-I love you-!"

The brunet caught his lips in another kiss and continued to stroke his shaft, his other hand lifting to tangle in his hair. "Mmn…"

Joey clawed at the older boy's back frantically as he felt his climax drawing closer and moaned into his mouth, moving his hips faster. "Mm-! Mmm!" He gasped as the brunet broke the kiss and laid his head on his shoulder, panting weakly. "Seto—Seto! Mm, yes, so good—" His mouth opened in a silent scream as his body shuddered, muscles clenching and unclenching spasmodically as he came.

Seto growled and hugged him closer, licking his neck lovingly before he reached his own climax and clutched him closer. "Mmn, mine!"

"Nn… Seto…" The blond nuzzled his neck lovingly, then leaned back, frowning. "Seto? I… I love you."

The older boy glanced up at him in confusion before slowly replying, "I love you too. What's wrong, puppy?"

"…I don't know. Sometimes I just go really anxious that you won't love me anymore the more I gain weight," Joey whispered, looking away in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry."

Seto sighed and brushed the blond's hair out of his eyes. "If it makes you feel better, I'll tell you I love you every time I see you—every hour, every minute, every second—I want you to know you're one of my precious people. I would never want to make you feel like I don't love you." He paused, then smiled a little and leaned his forehead against the smaller boy's. "I just want to make sure my puppy's happy. I love you, puppy."

Joey blushed and smiled bashfully, gazing up at him from beneath his lashes. "Ya always know how t' make me feel better. Thank you, Seto."

"You're welcome. Tell anyone about this and I'll spank you with no intention of kissing it better," the brunet warned, then huffed and lay back against the bed. "If you ever doubt my love for you again, I'm chaining you to the bed and _showing_ you I love you until you've gotten it through your thick skull. …That includes eating whatever meals I make for you."

"I know you love me!" the blond squeaked quickly, forcing a smile. Really, if he ate Seto's food for more than one meal a week, he'd die.

* * *

_Egads! It's over! D__**:**__ Whatever shall we do now?! …See how Codi and Joy are doing, of course!_

* * *

Joey moaned quietly as he heard a long, loud squeak and nuzzled his head into his mate's chest, then frowned in confusion. After a few more minutes, he jerked his head upward, beginning to slap Seto's shoulder to wake him up. "Set-! Seto! Do you hear that!?"

Seto grunted and sat up, batting his hand away quickly. "Stop hitting me and be quiet so I can listen, damn it!" As the blond quieted down, he listened to the continuous long shrieks, he lied back down and sighed. "That's Joy and Codi. Go back to sleep."

"…But…" The younger boy frowned in confusion and tilted his head. "…Seto, shouldn't we—"

"It's too late now; you'll see eggs in the morning." The brunet reached up and yanked him back into his embrace. "I'm sleepy. We'll deal with them in the morning."

Joey's brows furrowed together in concern. "But Seto, if Codi doesn't want—"

"She likes him. He likes her. They both like and want babies. Perfect couple. Go back to sleep."

"…Fine…" The blond sighed and snuggled against him in defeat, bottom lip jutting out into a small pout. "You're so mean sometimes, Seto…"

Seto sighed and leaned down to brush his lips over the blond's forehead. "I know; I'm a cranky, snarly dragon. But puppy, honestly, you love me that way. And I love you for putting up with me." He scowled. "Now go to _sleep._"

Joey smiled a little and kissed his cheek before settling down to fall back to sleep. His dragon sure was cranky when his sleep was disturbed.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: What?! It's been how long?!

…I'm sorry. D**:**

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Joey's brows furrowed together in concern. "But Seto, if Codi doesn't want—"_

"_She likes him. He likes her. They both like and want babies. Perfect couple. Go back to sleep."_

"…_Fine…" The blond sighed and snuggled against him in defeat, bottom lip jutting out into a small pout. "You're so mean sometimes, Seto…"_

_Seto sighed and leaned down to brush his lips over the blond's forehead. "I know; I'm a cranky, snarly dragon. But puppy, honestly, you love me that way. And I love you for putting up with me." He scowled. "Now go to sleep."_

_Joey smiled a little and kissed his cheek before settling down to fall back to sleep. His dragon sure was cranky when his sleep was disturbed._

Chapter 10

Seto jerked his head up quickly, looking around his room with a low rumble of anger. Something wasn't right. Something evil was in his room. Looking down at his mate quickly, he was relieved to find the blond still slumbering peacefully. It wouldn't do to worry him when he had their child growing inside of him.

Disentangling himself from the younger boy gently, he sat up and looked around his room again. He couldn't have just imagined it. Could he? He didn't think he could get the shivers because he'd _imagined_ something. That was when he realized what was amiss.

THE PUDDLE WAS BACK.

Seto slid off the bed and raised an eyebrow, leaning down to examine the black puddle again. It still looked like a syrup. It still looked gross. And he still had no idea where it had come from. He should just clean it up so this didn't happen again—

He let out a startled yelp as a pair of beady eyes blinked at him from the puddle, then let out an angry roar as the puddle suddenly surged upward into his face like a fountain. He tried to claw it off, even so far as trying to electrocute it, but he could feel it sliding up his nose and down his throat, suffocating him. He let out a dragony whine and sagged to the floor as he felt his senses going dull, feeling ashamed that he had failed his mate, and he let out one last, desperate roar.

Joey jerked awake as he heard a deafening roar and looked around frantically, disoriented. Seeing Seto sitting on the floor, he crawled toward the edge of the bed in concern. "Seto! Is everything okay? Are you alright?" When the brunet didn't answer him in favor of looking at his hands in disbelief, he scowled. "Seto! Answer me!"

The brunet blinked slowly, then turned to look up at his mate in confusion. "…I think I had a nightmare." He looked around slowly, trying to figure out how he had gotten on the floor. "Maybe I fell out of bed."

Joey sighed and rolled his eyes, then settled back under the covers. "I have _school_ tomorrow, Mr. Bad Dream. Get back in bed."

Seto stared at his hands for a moment longer, then stood and got back into bed, curling his body around the blond's protectively. Had it really just been a dream? He could have sworn… it felt so real…

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey shivered as he felt someone staring at him and glanced over his shoulder in confusion. The only one there was Seto, and he stared at him all the time. So why did it seem so creepy now? …Probably because Mokuba had spent the night at a friend's house to work on a project so Seto had no one else to be distracted with. There just… something wasn't right about it. That was all he knew.

Sighing, the blond scratched the back of his head and turned to leave the kitchen. "Well, I'm gonna be late for school if I don't go now, so—" He cut himself off as Seto's eyes seemed to darken in anger, but as soon as he blinked, it was gone, so he couldn't be sure. "…So… I'm gonna… get my stuff and go…" He bit his bottom lip as the brunet nodded an acknowledgement and stood to leave the room, and felt badly when he couldn't stop a sigh of relief from escaping as he got out of earshot.

But really. He was going to be late for school if he didn't hurry his ass up and leave.

Running upstairs to grab his backpack, he tried to remember if he'd finished all his homework. He hoped he had. And then, if all went well at school today, he'd be able to go visit Kankana and Kaii. He paused in his mad dash only to give Seto, who was leaning in the doorway of the living room as he passed, a kiss on the cheek before he ran for the door.

Joey let out a yelp as the door failed to move and his head met the hard wood. "Ow!"

…What had happened? He'd turned the knob, hadn't he? Frowning in confusion, he looked at the door handle and gave it an experimental turn. It moved, but… why wasn't the door opening?

He shivered unconsciously as he heard Seto start purring and hesitantly looked over his shoulder to see the brunet smirking smugly, like a cat that had caught a canary or… or a dragon that had just caught a puppy.

Dropping his backpack and spinning to press his back against the door as the brunet walked toward him, Joey exclaimed, "W-what's going on?! Seto, I hafta get t' school! I-I have a test t'day and—" He gasped as the older boy pressed his body up against his and let out a soft, helpless whimper. "Seto…"

"You're staying with me today," Seto hissed, voice husky, before he caught the blond's lower lip between his teeth and began sucking on it lovingly.

Joey whimpered again and grabbed the brunet's shoulders, trying to push him away. "No-! Seto-! Let go uh I lih!" He yelped as the Dragon Master's hand began rubbing his crotch and frantically tried to struggle, but then the brunet's free hand caught his wrists and pressed them above his head.

Purring, the brunet released the smaller teen's lip in favor of attacking his ear instead. "Mm… Mine…"

"Setooo!" The blond growled in frustration and tried to yank his hands out of the older boy's grip. "I don't have time for—can't ya wait until—" He yipped as the hand at his crotch gave his slowly forming erection a rough squeeze and quickly turned his head away, tears forming in his eyes. "T-that hurts!"

Seto snarled quietly and nuzzled the blond's throat, then sunk his fangs into the tender flesh on the side. As the smaller boy screamed, thrashing his head and squirming frantically to get away, he realized vaguely that he was hurting his mate, and that was wrong—but he just couldn't bring himself to stop. Releasing his mate's crotch, he dragged his hand upward to dig into his soft side, pressing his body between the blond's legs as he continued to suck at his throat.

Joey sobbed weakly and fell limp beneath him, trembling as the brunet's knee rubbed insistently between his legs. "Stop! Seto! Stop it! You're hurtin' me!" He moaned in relief as the older boy released his hands and hurriedly grabbed his shoulders, but any attempt he made to push him away was met with the brunet violently shaking his head, aggravating further the wound on his neck.

The Dragon Master thoroughly intended to take his mate then and there as he felt his body sag in defeat, but was interrupted by an angry shriek.

Joy shrieked again and began a sharp dive from the stairs, pressing his wings flat against his tiny body to become a little Dragon Bullet. Bashing his skull into the brunet's, he let loose a louder shriek and began slapping him with his tail.

Seto wasn't going to lie; having the dragon butting heads with him at such high speeds had hurt. But he was _trying_ to fuck his mate! Releasing the blond angrily, he turned with a furious roar and threw a handful of lightning at him, not even caring as his mate whimpered in pain. However, the dragon was small and quick, so he easily dodged his attack with enough skill to even slap him with his tail again before he retreated a safe distance.

As the brunet proclaimed war with the tiny dragon, Joey scrambled to grab his backpack and lowered himself to the ground, crawling for the living room. He figured that if Seto kept attacking Joy, who was in the air, he wouldn't see him moving for an escape until it was too late to stop him. He waited until he was sure the wall hid him from view before stumbling to his feet toward the window.

His shaking fingers fumbled with the lock for a few terrifying moments, but finally, he threw open the window and leapt outside. His trembling legs couldn't handle the sudden impact and collapsed beneath him, so he ended up with scraped palms and an ugly abrasion on his knee, but he wasn't going to waste the time to heal himself. He needed to get out of there!

Halfway down the drive, he heard what could only be described as an explosion. Turning in horror, afraid that Joy had been incinerated, he found that he didn't need to worry about Joy. He was still diving at the brunet's head like an angry bird, shrieking and slapping with his tail. However, the front doors of the mansion were gone, and all that was left of them was smoking cinders as the Dragon Master stormed through the now open space.

Joey squeaked in alarm and began sprinting away, not even pausing to wait for the gates to open; he leapt up with his running start and climbed the rest of the way, stumbling when he hit the ground again but unwilling to stop again for anything. The only reason he knew Seto was still following him was because he heard another explosion, and shrapnel from the gates—a piece of the lock, actually—just barely missed shoulder as it flew by him.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"…Maybe… he took the limo today?" Ryou offered unsurely, looking toward Yugi in concern.

Yugi frowned and rubbed the back of his head. "No, he calls me when he's taking the limo so he can ask if I want a ride. But he better hurry up, or Téa's going to be really mad when we get to school twenty minutes late."

Bakura poked his head out of the door of the game shop and raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you two usually on your way to school by now?"

"We're waiting for Joey, Bakura; don't worry about it," the smaller albino replied, smiling in his most reassuring way, before all three of them jumped as they heard a frantic scream.

"_YUGI! YUGI! HELP ME!_"

Spinning toward the source of the shout, the boy in question gasped in horror. "Joey!"

Joey stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk and tumbled to the ground, whimpering in exhaustion. He'd run over a mile and a half to get there, and he could tell Seto was still chasing him—he just _knew._ He mewed helplessly as he was hoisted upward and carried into the shop. "H-he's gonna get me…"

"Who's going to get you, Joey?" Yugi asked in concern, following him with his backpack in hand.

Bakura carried the blond over to the counter and sat him down. "Stay here. I'll go get the first-aid kit."

"Who's going to get you?" Yugi repeated, setting the older boy's backpack beside him on the counter.

"Joey, your neck!" Ryou gasped in horror, pointing at it.

The blond covered the bite mark and sobbed quietly. "I don't know what's goin' on! Seto just—he just—"

"Kaiba did this to you?" Yami asked in concern, coming down the stairs to see what the commotion was. "Why?"

"I don't _know!_" Joey exclaimed, nearing hysteria as he frantically dug through his backpack. "He's comin' t' get me—I know he is—I gotta get outta here—" Finally finding what he was searching for, he slammed the book down on the counter and opened it—and with a flash, he was gone, leaving nothing but his backpack and the old, tattered book behind.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey knew it was only a matter of time before Seto was able to get to him, even with his friends helping him. He couldn't go to Kankana or Soumya, because they had puppies that couldn't protect themselves. His only hope was to get to Akai, Kisara, Aoi, and Shira. Their kits may not have been able to attack, but they had thick scales that would protect them from any attacks Seto might be angry enough dole out, and their parents would willingly protect him until they could figure out what was wrong with the Dragon Master.

He would have preferred the arguing, the fights his parents had gone through than to _ever_ have to deal with his own mate trying to rape him.

"Akai! Akai! Kisara, I—" Stumbling to a stop, the blond looked around in confusion. There was usually a parent sitting out in front of the cave, with a few kits playing around in the sunshine, but now the dragon's den looked deserted. Where could they have gone?

Hearing a soft, sad squeal, he rushed into the den, hoping to find that they were all just taking a nap. He was disappointed to find only Kaii at the back of the den, but happy at the same time. Rushing toward the depressed kit, the boy scooped him into his arms and hugged him tightly.

Kaii wasn't very old yet, but he knew something was wrong with his mother, so he cooed and wrapped his tail around his arm lovingly. _**"Mama…"**_

Joey gasped and jerked his head back. "Did you just call me 'mama?'"

The kit cooed again. _**"Mama!"**_

The blond laughed and leaned his face against the dragon's neck, but his laughter slowly dissolved into helpless sobs. His baby had spoken to him and he couldn't even enjoy it, because all he could think about was what Seto would think and then he remembered what had been done to him. Sitting in the darkest corner of the seemingly abandoned den, he cried against his baby's scales and rocked back and forth.

He didn't know how long he cried; he only knew that the longer he cried, the better he felt. Sniffing softly, he leaned back and rubbed his sleeve across his cheeks, then tossed his damp, sticky hair out of his still-warm eyes. "Oh, God, I needed that." He looked down at his concerned looking kit and couldn't help a smile. "Mommy's okay now, baby. I'm sorry I worried you."

Kaii smiled and fluttered his wings cheerfully, but quickly folded them back against his body in fear as he looked over his shoulder; something bad was coming. Something evil.

Joey looked up as he heard footsteps and stiffened, then hurriedly turned to protect Kaii from view as he recognized the silhouette coming toward him. He _would_ protect his babies—the one in his arms and the one inside of him—even if that meant hurting Seto.

Seto frowned in concern as he saw the blood staining the blond's shirt and the knee of his jeans and lifted his gaze to the younger boy's face, startled when he found that he was being given the most venomous glare Joey had probably given anybody. "…Puppy? Are you okay?"

"How _dare_ you ask me that!" the blond hissed angrily, then held the wriggling kit in his arms more firmly. "How _dare_ you think ya have the right t' know whether I'm okay or not, like ya have no idea how I got like this!"

The older boy took a surprised step back at the anger in his voice. "But… puppy, I—"

"Don't call me that! Ya lost the privilege t' call me that the moment ya touched me!" Joey shouted furiously, and in the back of his mind he was confused by the hurt and bewildered expression on his mate's face, but he was just too pissed to care right now. "I don't want a boyfriend who'll just use me whenever he feels like it! I don't want a boyfriend who will _hurt_ me whenever he feels like it! I can't believe I'm havin' your kid!"

Seto winced and took another step back. Joey hated him so much that he didn't even want to have their baby, and he had no idea why! And it all had to do with his nightmare that he couldn't even remember!

…He should have known that he would never be happy. All he seemed to be doing was hurting his brother and his lover—and judging by the terrified expression on Kaii's face, his kit, too. After his conference with Mokuba and his teacher, the younger boy hadn't spoken more then necessary with him. Now he'd alienated Joey.

Gozaburo had always told him he was only good for cerebral things. Feelings just weren't for him.

Sighing in defeat, Seto looked away from his mate nodded slowly. "I'll just get out of your hair then."

"Good!" Joey spat, glaring as the brunet turned and walked away.

He didn't realize how far out of his hair Seto was going to go.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Hello, Mrs. Cuttlebrink."

"_Seto! I was wondering when I'd hear from you again!"_ the elderly voice replied cheerfully. _"So, how are things? How's Mokuba? And that boy I saw you on the news with, what's his name… Joey!"_

"They're fine," Seto replied flatly, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. "We're just… We've had a little accident and now we're having some work done on the house."

"_Oh, dear, you didn't try to cook again, did you?"_

The brunet frowned. Did everyone know about that? "I was wondering if you'd take Mokuba for a while. Until the work is done, anyway."

"_Oh, I'd __**love**__ to! You know how much I adore you two. I'm sure I'd love Joey, too, if you ever brought him by and introduced us!"_

"…I'll be sure to do that soon, Mrs. Cuttlebrink," he deadpanned. Sighing, he ended the conversation with the elderly woman, then began upstairs. He tapped on his brother's door gently. "Mokuba?"

He heard what sounded like an offended huff. So his brother was listening.

"…You're staying with Mrs. Cuttlebrink while they're repairing the house. If you get your things together, I'll drive you over—"

"I'll have Roland drive me, thank you."

"…Oh." He told himself that he wasn't cut out for caring about people anyway. "…Then I guess I'll see you when you get back," he muttered, and was once again answered with silence.

Seto stood outside his brother's door for a few more minutes before turning to walk to his own room. He'd taken care of his brother and his ma—Joey. Joey would be staying with Yugi at the game shop, and he'd send Grandpa Moto a check each month for expenses, and to give a little to Joey without the blond blowing a fuse about being treated like a whore.

Whether or not he actually called for them to come back was debatable. He didn't actually plan on them ever coming back. He was terrible at keeping his precious people happy.

As he stepped into his room, he heard an angry shriek before Joy bashed into his head. He'd almost forgotten. He looked around for a box to place Codi and their eggs in, and he felt his heart sink. He'd need to send all of Joey's clothes and art supplies to the game shop. Joy and Codi would go with them and go home, to Mythaven.

After a few moments of shrieking angrily, Joy realized that the brunet wasn't even listening to him, so he sighed and flew into the bathroom, which had become his and Codi's 'den.'

Seto looked around his room again, then let out a helpless sob and collapsed on his bed. He'd pissed off his brother so much he didn't even want to talk to him, his lover wanted nothing to do with him and didn't even want to have his child anymore, and even his _kit_ was terrified of him. He told himself that he wasn't meant for sharing emotional ties, but his heart was protesting loudly.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: So… this chapter is up as soon as I could get it finished in an apology for taking so long to update earlier. D**:** I love you all and I didn't mean to make you think I'd given up on this story.

Also, to make up for the lack of update earlier, it's longer than the other chapter too. I LOVE YOU.

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_As he stepped into his room, he heard an angry shriek before Joy bashed into his head. He'd almost forgotten. He looked around for a box to place Codi and their eggs in, and he felt his heart sink. He'd need to send all of Joey's clothes and art supplies to the game shop. Joy and Codi would go with them and go home, to Mythaven._

_After a few moments of shrieking angrily, Joy realized that the brunet wasn't even listening to him, so he sighed and flew into the bathroom, which had become his and Codi's 'den.'_

_Seto looked around his room again, then let out a helpless sob and collapsed on his bed. He'd pissed off his brother so much he didn't even want to talk to him, his lover wanted nothing to do with him and didn't even want to have his child anymore, and even his kit was terrified of him. He told himself that he wasn't meant for sharing emotional ties, but his heart was protesting loudly._

Chapter 11

Joey blinked in surprise as he found boxes full of his things in the game shop as soon as he returned, then turned toward his friend in confusion. "What's all this?"

Yugi shrugged nervously. "Kaiba dropped everything off about an hour ago. I guess Grandpa said you could stay here while they're repairing things at Kaiba's place."

"Oh." The blond frowned. He'd hoped that Seto would at least feel badly for a little while, but… apparently what had happened didn't mean all that much to him. And that hurt more than he liked to admit.

"Yeah, Mokuba's staying at some old family friend's until it's finished. When I asked Kaiba where he was going to stay, he just said the office. I guess he has a bedroom there or something," the smaller boy continued, not seeing the blond's disappointment.

Joey frowned in confusion. Seto had never stayed the night at the office before. He couldn't imagine him staying there for more than a few days, either.

Not that he cared. Because it was obvious Seto didn't care about him.

So why had Kaii been so terrified while Seto had been there but had shrieked for him to stop, making grabbing motions with his claws toward his father as he had walked away? Why had Seto seemed so confused and lost when he'd yelled at him? …And… why had Seto looked so sad when he'd left?

Joey jumped and let out a decidedly unmanly scream as one of the boxes on the counter rustled (he figured he could deal with that, though, because Yami had just walked in and had screamed like a little girl too), but then let out a relieved sigh as Joy's optimistic little head popped out. "Joy, don't scare me like that."

Joy looked around in concern, then looked up at the blond in confusion. _"See-toh?"_

"…We're takin' a little break from each other, Joy," the boy replied, reaching out to rub between his ears.

Codi poked her head out of the box as well, letting out a squawk of outrage. _"Breek!?"_

Yami looked surprised as well. "You're taking a break from each other? I can't imagine Kaiba was too happy with that."

"I don't think Joey really cares how Kaiba feels right now," Yugi replied, then looked up at his friend in concern. "Are you okay, Joey? What happened this morning?"

He'd healed himself before he'd come back, but he was still dealing with the emotional wounds. Looking down at his feet, he frowned. "…I don't wanna talk about it just yet, Yug'."

Yami narrowed his eyes as his other half nodded sympathetically and suggested a movie night. He could tell all was not right. But he was willing to let it go until something _really_ went wrong.

.-.-.-.-.-.

He couldn't tell if he was hyper or exhausted, Seto decided, staring at his computer screen as he ran a hand through his hair. He'd been awake for sixty-three hours straight, but he'd had surprisingly strong coffee recently, and he didn't necessarily feel a need to sleep anytime soon.

Not that he wanted to go back to an empty home, even if it _had_ been completely restored. It had been two weeks since the construction had finished so far, and he decided he wouldn't go home until someone else did. Mokuba had shown no signs of trying to get in contact with him, and he was sure Joey wouldn't even point him toward a hospital if he was dying. He'd badly hurt his puppy. He just didn't know how.

Seto blinked as he heard a snap, then looked down at his hand. He'd broken his pen. He hadn't even realized he'd been holding it that hard. …He'd ruined the report he'd been about to sign.

Sighing, he stood and walked to his door, opening it just enough to poke his head out. "I'll give you a cookie if you go ask for a copy of the report from Nagasaki."

"One cookie would never be enough," his secretary, Shina, replied, not looking away from her computer. "Nagasaki doesn't like me."

"…I will give you _two_ cookies."

"What, no offer to buy me a—" she began playfully, turning toward him, but her expression fell as soon as she laid eyes on him. "…Kaiba, are you feeling well?"

Seto frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I don't know." He could almost _see_ the sarcasm dripping from her words. "You're as white as a ghost, you look like someone's given you two black eyes, you're trembling a little, and it looks like you've crushed a pen in your hand."

"…Perhaps I'll take a nap later," he replied, and she sighed quietly in response but nodded and left to go get the copy of the report he wanted. He watched her go, then slunk back into his office.

He had no intention of taking a nap. He dreamed when he slept, dreamed of cuddling and loving his puppy. He dreamed of sitting down to dinner with his family—with Joey and Mokuba, and Mokuba was talking to him again. He dreamed of playing with Kaii, spending time with him—and then coming home and spending time with Joey and the baby, who would be born by then and he'd be happy to help raise it.

But Joey wanted nothing to do with him, and he'd probably support him seeing the baby as much as he would support clubbing baby seals—basically, no way in hell.

Seto blinked as he was jerked back to reality by a knock on the door and turned. "Yes?"

"I got the report," Shina chirped, walking back in. "Along with a list of demands or else I'll never see Woody again."

Woody had been a gift from Seto, because she was so easily amused. It was a wooden bird that tipped back and forth, dipping its beak into a glass of water and popping back up, over and over again. And Nagasaki liked to steal it just to hear her scream when she returned from what she was doing, whatever it may be.

Seto stared at the list for a moment before stating, "Tell him that I will pay for his lunch for a week if he gives back Woody and glue the damn thing to your desk."

"…Right. Is there anything else you might need?" she asked, turning to go.

The brunet tilted his head. "…Well, you could call an ambulance."

Shina blinked before looking over her shoulder at him. "…Why do you want an ambulance?"

Seto didn't reply verbally, but he did fall to the ground, body seizing with violent spasms before he finally relaxed. But he didn't get up.

Stunned, the poor girl stared at him for a moment before letting out a shriek and dashing for his phone, which was currently much closer than hers.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"_Mokuba, I— …Never mind."_

"_I just wanted to say… Oh, forget it."_

"…………"

"_I didn't mean to—Oh, screw it. I'm no good at this."_

Those were just a few of many messages he'd gotten from his brother.

Mokuba frowned and thought seriously about calling his brother back. It hadn't really been his fault he hadn't answered—he'd lost his phone for about a week and had finally found it beneath the bed. But he usually answered when Seto called, even if he _was_ mad. Seto probably thought he was so mad he didn't _want_ to talk to him, but he really did; he just didn't want to be the one to start it, so Seto just had to try calling one more time…

He jumped as his phone began ringing and answered it instantly. "Hello?"

"_Hey, Mokuba. Have… have you heard from Seto recently?"_

At that, Mokuba sighed in disappointment; he'd been hoping it would be his brother. "Well, no. I haven't had my cell phone for the past week and a half, but he's left me a ton of messages."

"_Oh." _ Joey paused anxiously, then hesitantly asked, _"Has he said anything about me?"_

"No," the younger boy sighed. "It's mostly just the beginnings of apologies before he gets embarrassed and hangs up."

"…_Oh."_ A sad pause this time. _"…I see."_

Mokuba frowned in concern. "Joey, did Seto do something to upset you?"

"_What? No. Well, sort of. …It's nothing."_

"Oh. …Joey? Whatever he did, he probably didn't mean it," he stated quietly. "He never does."

"…_I have a hard time imagining he didn't mean it,"_ the blond answered curtly. _"I have homework. Tell Seto we're having a boy if you ever hear from him."_

Mokuba blinked as Joey hung up on him and looked at his phone in shock. Whatever Seto had done had really hurt him. Seto was probably going out of his mind with guilt. …He should really talk to him.

Sighing in defeat, he tapped in his brother's phone number and waited for him to pick up. He got no answer. Seto must be in a meeting. He'd try again later.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Well, at least you put newspaper down this time," Yugi stated, tapping his fingers together anxiously. "…Joey?"

"I worked hours on that painting," Joey whispered, tears forming in his eyes. "I worked _hours._"

'Hours' was an understatement; he'd worked _days_ on the portrait of Akai and Kaii. He was just putting the finishing touches on everything when he'd gone to make a snack. Then Codi had come and ripped up his canvas, spilled his paints, and broken his paintbrushes. Joy had tried to stop her, but had only ended up being thrown into a cup of black paint for his efforts and landed on the floor with everything else.

Why had she done that?

At that point, Yami stepped into the room and, totally bypassing the artistic carnage, walked toward the TV and flipped it on. "What channel?" he asked, and it was then the two other boys noticed the phone he was holding to his ear. Flipping the TV to the designated channel, he sat down on the couch and turned it up.

"—_**in pop culture, teenagers everywhere are crying. It appears that Seto Kaiba has been sent to the hospital!"**_

Joey squeaked in the back of his throat in horror.

"_**No word yet on his condition or why he had to be taken there in the first place, but apparently an ambulance was called to Kaiba Corp. at around nine o'clock this morning and he was taken to the emergency room. We'll give you more information as we have it—"**_

Yami flipped the TV off and turned to give him a stern look. "Perhaps she knew something was wrong, and she wanted you to stop painting and go to your mate. Thank you, Bakura," he added curtly to the phone, before hanging up and standing to leave the room again. "I will be in aibou's room solving his Rubik cube."

"…He's been working on that stupid cube for days," Yugi muttered, then looked up at his friend in concern. "Joey? Are you going to go see Kaiba?"

Joey looked down at his feet, then scowled and crossed his arms. "Why should I? He hasn't called me. He hasn't come by t' talk t' me. He hasn't even mentioned me t' Mokuba, wonderin' how I am! He doesn't care about me!"

"Joey! Of course he cares about you!" the smaller boy exclaimed, placing his hands on his hips. "I'm surprised at you! You and Kaiba got along so well, and then you come in here screaming and go into Mythaven! Then Kaiba comes in looking pissed off so we let him in after you, and when he comes back out, he looks like his world ended and you come out a few hours later looking pissed!" He glared at the blond and let out a frustrated sigh. "And you won't even tell us what's going on! And _now_ Kaiba's in the hospital and you won't even go see him! He'd come and see _you_ if you were in the hospital!"

"I'm _not_ in the hospital," the blond replied, glaring back at him. "And I wouldn't _want_ him t' come see me! He can go to hell for all I care!"

Yugi gasped, horrified, then scowled again. "Get out. Get _out._ I don't care where you go just leave for a while before I hurt you!"

Joey was quick to retreat; he knew he was stepping over the line when he'd implied that he wouldn't care if Seto died. And what was worse was that he'd been lying. So escaping to Mythaven hadn't been planned, but he needed to talk to Kankana anyway.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto jerked awake with a pained gasp. His puppy had been kissing him so lovingly, and then he'd pushed him away and began screaming at him, calling him a rapist and a wife-beater. Was that what had happened? Why couldn't he remember?

"Seto!"

He snapped his head to the side and lifted a hand instinctively to protect himself, then frowned when he saw his little brother smiling at him in relief, even though he was mad at him and wanted nothing to do with him. "…Mokie?"

"I was so worried! Do you realize you've exhausted yourself!? You've got malnutrition!? How long has it been since you slept or had a decent meal?!"

"…Why…?" Seto frowned in confusion. "Aren't you mad at me? Why are you here?"

Mokuba offered him a confused smile. "Well, Seto, even if I'm mad at you, I still care about what happens to you."

"…Oh."

The younger boy's smile faded just as quickly as he'd offered it. "…Seto, you didn't think I… You didn't think I hated you, did you?" When his brother didn't answer, Mokuba stood up angrily. "I would never hate you after all you've done for me, Seto! How could you ever think that?!"

"I'm no good at keeping the people I love happy," Seto stated quietly, not lifting his gaze from his lap.

"You piss me off sometimes, Seto, but you're still really good at making me happy!" Mokuba exclaimed, frowning. "Who else would have bought me a yoyo when I turned fifteen? Who else would have known I didn't want something expensive, that I wanted something simple? I mean, sure, I acted offended, but I still play with that yoyo on planes or in the car on a long trip! I love spending time with you and I'll love being an uncle, but I want you there to enjoy it with me!"

The brunet stayed silent for a few minutes, expression darkening with pain with every thought going through his head. Finally, he quietly stated, "I won't be able to be with you while you spend time with the baby. Joey wants nothing to do with me."

The younger boy scowled. "What is _up_ with that, anyway? Last I heard, you guys were getting along! Then suddenly the front doors and the gate are blown off their hinges and Joey calls asking if I've heard from you, and if I have, if you'd said anything about him! Then when I ask him what you've done, he gets all snappy and ends the conversation with me! What's going on!?"

"…I don't know," Seto replied honestly. "I've hurt him, but I don't know how; it's like I blocked out the entire thing, and I can't remember no matter how hard I try."

"…He told me to tell you that the baby's a boy," Mokuba stated quietly, flinching a little when his brother let out a pathetic whimper before he hid his face in his hands.

He wasn't going to cry. He was _not_ going to cry. It had been kind of Joey to give him that information. It was nice of him to let him know that their child was a boy.

But he needed a little girl. Who was he going to have another baby with? …Because it obviously wasn't going to be him.

Mokuba flinched again as the brunet's shoulders began shaking. "…Seto…"

"He doesn't want me anymore," Seto ground out, then turned and buried his face in his pillow. He wasn't going to cry. That didn't mean he couldn't scream into his pillow.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey blinked in surprise as he found Kankana just where he'd been told she'd be by a harried and frantic Soumya (who was not yet used to watching all of the puppies by himself now that their eyes had opened). She was soaking in a hot spring. …With Kisara.

He didn't know there _were_ hot springs that big.

Kankana's nose twitched before her eyes began blinking open, and she smiled brightly. "Joey! Come on in; the water's fine!"

"I'd rather not." Joey rubbed his arm nervously as he walked over to the edge of the spring and sat down. "Kankana, I have t' talk to ya…"

"_**Just one thing before you do,"**_ Kisara cut in, frowning in concern as she leaned her head toward him. _**"Kaii has been very upset lately. Did something happen while we were gone? We wanted to take him with us, but it's tradition that only the parents and kits come to the christening with the Emperors."**_

He'd forgotten about that. So that's why they hadn't been there.

"…_**Joey?"**_ she asked softly, frowning, and prodded his shoulder gently with his tail.

"…I… need t' tell ya somethin'," he stated softly, hugging his knees to his chest.

At that, Kankana heaved herself out of the spring and came to sit next to him. "We're listening."

"…A few weeks ago… Seto… he…" Joey bit his bottom lip. "…He was actin' really weird. He fell outta bed when he had a nightmare, and that just started everything." He expected one of the two females to cut in, but they waited patiently. "…He… he started starin' at me weird. And then, when I tried to leave, the doorknob turned, but the door wouldn't open, and then… he attacked me."

Kisara let out a displeased rumble, but Kankana silenced her with a sharp look.

"And… when I tried to get him to stop, he wouldn't let me. And then… then he bit me." He pointed to the spot where, if one looked hard enough, they could see two puncture scars. "And he would've… he would've raped me, but Joy came down and distracted him long enough so I could get away. I came here and I ran t' your den, because I didn't want Seto t' hurt the pups, and when he found me, he… he had no idea what was goin' on."

The dragon opened her mouth to speak, but Kankana gave her another sharp look. Kisara huffed.

"'nd Kaii was scared when he came in, but when he was leavin', he didn't want him t' go. I stayed until Akai came back with some of the kits before I went home. I've been stayin' with Yugi. Seto told Gramps that it would be until repairs were done on the mansion, but… It's been over two weeks since the construction ended. He hasn't called me. He hasn't talked t' Mokuba." He paused. "…I don't know if I wanna see him again."

There was silence for a few moments, both the inugami and dragon pondering over what they'd heard, before Kankana let out a horrified shriek. "There's something evil in your den!"

Kisara released a screech and took flight, wings slapping the water twice before she gained any altitude. The inugami wasn't too far behind her, galloping off with speed she hadn't used since before Akuju's downfall.

Joey watched them go in confusion, then slowly stood. He didn't know what had just happened, but obviously something big was up. He better go find out what it was.

Turning to go back the way he'd come, he was startled by a pair of dark red eyes framed by black hair. "Bwah-!"

It was Akuju, but… he was see-through. It was like looking at his ghost, except he was certain that Fenrir had taken him back to hell and was punishing him for hurting his pups.

The Ghost-Akuju stared at him for a few moments before slowly turning his gaze away. _"…You're a fool."_

As frightened as he was by this translucent enemy, he was annoyed by the statement. "Hey!"

"_**I'm**__ not the one who thought my loyal, caring mate would rape him! Don't you know a possessed man when you see one?!"_ the man spat, turning his angry gaze back on the blond. _"Fool. Oblivious, __**stupid**__ fool!"_

Then he was gone, and the boy was left staring at nothing. "…Wha…?"

"Akuju was not entirely responsible for his cruelty," Fenrir explained, coming up behind him.

Joey let out a startled squawk and spun around to face him quickly. "What!?"

The wolf dipped his head a little to be able to see him better. "With his curse, he could not feel remorse. Now he can feel remorse. He is not sorry he tried to take over Mythaven, but he _is_ sorry that he tried to claim someone else's dame and hurt children. He is only angry that you cannot see how you have been manipulated—by the remnants of _his_ curse, no less. Your mate has no idea how he has hurt you; he does not even realize he has done anything wrong."

So saying, Fenrir dipped his head in a sort of bow. "Mated dragons do not 'take breaks.' If the dame leaves, the sire does not function well. Remember that as you fall asleep tonight."

Joey looked down at his feet in horror. Seto really _hadn't_ meant to hurt him. Seto hadn't done anything wrong at all! And now he was in the hospital, and he'd said he wouldn't have cared if he died—

Letting out an ashamed sob, he wrapped one of his arms around his stomach protectively and used his free hand to cover his mouth. He was a horrible mate.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto frowned as he heard his door open but didn't move. He'd been sedated earlier, but the medication had worn off a while ago and he found himself dreading sleep without it. When he was sedated, he didn't dream (for whatever reason), and he didn't want to see his mate loving him in his dreams and then having to come back to a reality without him.

He felt gentle fingertips trace his bare shoulder and couldn't help a shiver; it felt so warm, and he was so cold. He reached up for the hand instinctively and grabbed it, body shuddering again as it was filled with warmth. "Mmn…" After a moment, he slowly turned his head, and quickly released the hand he'd grabbed as he realized who it was. "Puppy-! I mean—Joey, I—"

"I—" Joey began anxiously, then bit his bottom lip. After a moment, he continued, "I… needed to talk to you…"

Seto frowned, then relaxed back into his lying position, his back to the blond as he stared out the window. "About?"

The younger boy winced at the action, but he realized he deserved it. He'd hurt his mate badly. "I… I mean… We're havin' a little boy," he finished lamely.

"So I heard."

"Don't… don't ya have anything t' say about it?" the blond asked quietly.

Seto snorted. "Congratulations."

Joey covered his stomach and bit his bottom lip again, looking down at his lap in shame. "…I… I don't suppose… I don't suppose ya have… anything else t' say?"

"Nothing at the moment, sorry."

The blond bit down on his lip harder, trying to force himself not to shed a tear. A whimper escaped his lips as he broke the skin and a drop of blood rolled down his chin. _'I did this to myself. It's my fault he doesn't want me anymore. If I hadn't just jumped to conclusions… Of course Seto would never do those horrible things to me…'_

"Joey! I didn't know you were coming!" Mokuba exclaimed happily as he stepped into the room. "I called Yugi a while ago and he said—Joey, you're bleeding!"

At that, Seto turned sharply, eyes widening as he saw the small trail of blood running down the blond's chin and dripping onto his hand, clenching his jeans so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. His eyes were glazed with tears, but he seemed determined not to let any fall.

Joey lifted one of his hands to wipe his eyes and sniffed quietly. "Oh, it's nothin'— I'll heal it later— I-I have somewhere I need t' be—"

"Are you sure?" the younger boy asked in concern. "It's not good to just run around while you're upset, you know!"

"No, no, I'll be fine—" The blond sniffed again and forced a shaky smile as he went to pass him for the door. "Don't worry!" He gasped as he heard a ripping sound before something was wrapped around his waist and he was being tugged backward. "Ooph!"

Seto wrapped his arm around the blond's waist and hissed, then turned his glowing gaze to his brother. "Mokuba, I'd like a candy bar."

"…I'll… go to the vending machine on the first floor then," Mokuba replied nervously, before dashing out of the room.

The brunet growled and turned his attention back to his trembling mate. "What's wrong?"

"Ya want nothin' t' do with me and it's all my fault!" Joey sobbed, then reached back to brush his fingertips where the brunet's scaled tail melded into his human skin. "And I made ya use your tail and it probably hurt t' get it out so fast!"

Seto was not going to tell him that it had, in fact, hurt a little because he'd done it so fast. He was also not going to tell him that he had at first wished he'd just go away instead of torturing him with his presence. Besides, his touch felt really good, rubbing where his dragon tail met his human spine.

Instead, he cupped the blond's cheek and gently nuzzled his neck. "Don't cry, don't cry. Please don't cry."

"It wasn't even your fault!" the younger boy continued, as if not hearing him. "I'm sorry, Seto! I'm so, so sorry!"

Seto dipped his head to the blond's round stomach and used his teeth to drag his shirt up. "It's okay, puppy. It's okay."

"But… but… Please… Seto, please—" Joey mewled as the brunet's cool fingers rubbed the curve of his stomach and placed his hand on top of his. "Your hands are so cold…"

"And you're so hot," the older boy hissed, then looked down at his hand sharply.

The blond frowned in confusion. "Seto?"

Seto frowned in confusion. "I think I felt something move."

"…That was the baby."

The brunet looked up at him and tilted his head, seemingly still confused. "…The baby?"

"We haven't talked in over a month. I'm almost five and a half months pregnant. That was the baby moving," the younger boy explained slowly. "Seto, you felt the baby kick."

It took a few moments, but then the brunet smiled. "I felt my little boy kick?"

"Yeah. He's an active little guy." Joey hesitated before adding, "I haven't been sleeping well because he won't stop moving. Maybe… maybe it's because he knows his daddy isn't there."

Seto's smile faded immediately. "…Are you suggesting we move back in together?"

The blond winced and looked away from him quickly. "No, no, I was just sayin'— I mean, if ya want me back in the mansion, I guess I wouldn't mind— I-I was only makin' a guess!" He bit his bottom lip again and buried his face in the sheets.

His puppy was so frightened of what he wanted, too afraid that he'd be rejected. Seto frowned in concern and grabbed the blond's chin, gently turning his head back to face him. He let out a rumble of disapproval as he saw blood trickling down his pup's chin again. "Puppy…"

"I hurt ya again. I promised myself I wouldn't hurt ya after we got together in Mythaven and I hurt ya _so bad,_" the younger boy sobbed, knocking the brunet's hand away from his face so he could hide it again. "I didn't trust ya and look what happened! You're in the hospital, ya don't want me anymore! Everything was goin' so well and I screwed it all up!"

Seto sighed and drew his face around again. "Puppy, look at me."

"No—"

"_Look at me._"

Joey whimpered but looked up, sniffling quietly. "Seto…"

"I screw up all the time in our relationship. You're allowed to have a few screw ups, I think." The brunet traced the younger boy's bottom lip with his thumb gently. "Heal that please."

The blond sniffed again and pressed his finger to his lip. "I'm sorry, Seto…"

Seto let out a rumble of annoyance; his mate had no idea how cute he looked with his finger pressed against his bottom lip like some coy damsel, his eyes half-lidded and heated. He was just begging for him to be molested—especially with the effeminate curves his body had taken as his pregnancy had progressed further and the healthy glow he'd seemed to have gained with them.

Joey gasped as the brunet pressed his mouth to his neck and let out a helpless whimper as the tip of his tail dragged along the inside of his thigh. "Ooh… Seto, someone could come in and see!"

"Are you worried about them seeing my tail, or are you worried about them seeing me touch you like this?" he whispered, making the blond whimper again as the warm breath hit his ear. "I hope you're more worried about the tail."

"Ah—ah, don't touch me there—" The younger boy blushed and smacked his hand away. "Seto! We're in a hospital!"

"So?"

"Rgh!"

Seto let out an 'eep' as the blond grabbed his ear and yanked. "That hurts!"

"We just made up, ya pervert! We should wait a couple of weeks before we do anything!"

The brunet drew his tail back into his body with a groan and rubbed his ear, scowling, then turned a curious look on him again. "…Joey? What did I do to upset you in the first place?"

The blond looked away from him quickly, frowning. "…I… It wasn't you. It was me. I'd rather not talk about it yet, okay?"

Seto scowled, then sighed in defeat. "Fine. Just… tell me soon, okay?"

Joey nodded quickly. "I will. I just… I just need t' think about it a little longer."

After a few moments of silence, they heard a soft tap on the door.

Mokuba poked his head in, eyes shut tightly. "…Are you guys decent?"

Joey squealed in embarrassment and rolled off the bed. "Oh, God, Mokuba, I'm sorry! Nothin' happened, I promised!"

The younger boy squinted one eye open and looked at the bed suspiciously, then stood up straight and sauntered into the room like nothing happened. "They only had healthy crap, Seto."

"What?! I demand junk food! I need the calories!" the brunet exclaimed. "Do they not realize that someone suffering from malnutrition can't live off of their crappy hospital food?!"

Joey frowned. "…Seto, how long has it been since you've had a decent meal?"

Seto looked away from him, suddenly more nervous than annoyed. "…Um… About the same time the repairs started on the mansion."

"_WHAT! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!_"

.-.-.-.-.-.

Akai didn't really know why Kankana had burst into his den and warned him and his other two mates that they needed to get out, but he hurried to do so, herding the kits out in small groups with the help of Aoi and Shira. He was even more confused when Kisara landed a few minutes after they'd finished clearing the den and rushed inside, using her White Lightning and screaming for someone to getoutgetoutget_out_ evil-vile-gross-harmful-thing.

He did, however, realize that that black slug-like snake hurriedly slithering from the den was _bad._

The black serpent began wriggling itself more frantically as it saw the giant ball of fire coming at it. It couldn't help a feeling of relief as it made it to the forest with only a few minor fire and electricity burns. However, it was then faced with dozens of big green eyes. Then, it had to choose whether it would rather take on a whole family of dragons or a bunch of franks.

It chose franks; they were easier to manipulate. Then, it would find a place to hide and wait for the Golden One to return.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: …I have noticed that you all don't want me to hurt the franks. **:**D It gives me such joy to know that you all care about one of my most original characters/creatures!

By the by, this is almost completely a filler. There's only a little plot development here.

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

"_What?! I demand junk food! I need the calories!" the brunet exclaimed. "Do they not realize that someone suffering from malnutrition can't live off of their crappy hospital food?!"_

_Joey frowned. "…Seto, how long has it been since you've had a decent meal?"_

_Seto looked away from him, suddenly more nervous than annoyed. "…Um… About the same time the repairs started on the mansion."_

"_**WHAT! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!**__"_

Chapter 12

Seto winced as he heard pots banging in the kitchen and looked helplessly at his brother. "Mokie, would you…?"

Mokuba held his hands up quickly. "I'm not the one who didn't eat a decent meal for a month! You can't make me go talk to him!" he exclaimed, before scampering up the stairs to his room.

The brunet sighed and crossed his arms, then decided there was nothing he could do. So, he slowly poked his head into the kitchen. "…Puppy?"

Joey slammed another pot full of water onto the stove and huffed. "Didn't eat a decent meal the whole time we were gone—I can't _believe_ you!"

"…Puppy, I didn't mean to…"

"'Puppy, I didn't mean t' forget t' eat!'" the blond exclaimed sarcastically without turning to look at him. "'Puppy, I didn't mean t' exhaust myself! Puppy, I didn't mean t' nearly work myself t' death!'"

"…That's not what I sound like," he deadpanned, then frowned when the younger boy only huffed and threw a plastic bag full of frozen hamburger into the pot he'd just set on the stove. "Joey, really… I didn't mean to do it."

Joey huffed. "I don't _care_ if ya didn't mean t' do it! Ya still did it! …Or _didn't_ do it, technically!"

"Puppy…" The brunet sighed, then walked up beside him. "Calm down."

"And why should I—" the younger boy began angrily, spinning toward him, only to wince as he found the brunet not even a foot away from him. "…I…"

Seto frowned and cupped the blond's cheeks in concern. "Puppy, why are you really so angry?"

Joey turned his gaze away, blushing a little, before he finally dropped his head in shame. "…It's all my fault ya weren't eatin' in the first place, isn't it?"

The brunet pulled him into a hug quickly and sighed. "Oh, puppy, it wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was! If I hadn't just jumped t' conclusions like I always do—" the younger boy began, only to whimper as his mate silenced him with a kiss. Once he broke it, however, he turned his head away quickly. "…I know it's my fault, Seto. I hurt ya, and ya stopped carin' about yourself." He looked up at him quickly, scowling. "Why didn't ya _tell_ me that sires don't function well when their dames leave?!"

Seto sighed again and looked away. "That would have made you stay."

"But then—"

"And if you didn't want to stay with me, I wasn't going to make you," the brunet continued, then groaned and rubbed his temple. "This may be an insult to you, but you're very predictable. I know how you'll react to most things—which is why I hide things from you. I don't want to upset you while you've got this baby inside of you, because you could hurt yourself or the baby. Once he's born, then I'll stop hiding things. Now please calm down; this stress can't be good for the baby."

Joey looked down at his feet and heaved a shaky sigh. Even though Seto didn't know why he'd gotten so mad, even though he had really hurt him, even though he'd caused him to suffer, he was still looking out for his well-being and the safety of the baby. It wasn't fair—to Seto.

"L-listen, I hafta make dinner," he stated quickly, turning his head away. "So… so could ya go and start unpackin' my stuff for me, please?"

Seto raised an eyebrow. "I don't know where a lot of your stuff goes, puppy."

"Well, if I'm gonna be in your room with ya, you better start findin' places t' put things."

"Oh. …Wait."

Joey almost laughed at the look of helpless confusion on his lover's face. Sighing, he walked over to him and gently cupped his cheek. "Seto, I'm movin' into your room with you," he stated slowly, and watched as the brunet's eyes lit up with understanding. He felt a pulse of complete and utter joy from the other boy before it was replaced by concern. "And _no,_ I'm not doin' this for you. I wanna be with you. So put my stuff where it'll fit and I'll sort out the rest later."

Seto opened his mouth to argue, or complain, or _something,_ but was immediately cowed when the blond shot him one of the dirtiest looks he'd ever seen. "…O…kay," he agreed after a moment, then fled out of the room.

Joey almost cackled.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto moaned quietly as he felt someone kissing him gently and slowly blinked his eyes open, then frowned in confusion. "…Where am I…?"

"You're still a little tired after the whole hospital deal, aren't ya?" Joey cooed, slowly stroking the brunet's hair. "You fell asleep in the library."

"Did I?" The brunet rubbed his eyes tiredly, moaning again when the younger boy slid onto his lap and kissed him again. Once the blond pulled away, he offered him a groggy smile. "Mm, maybe I'll fall asleep in the library more often."

"Maybe next time I'll just let you miss dinner," Joey replied, placing one last kiss to his lips before standing up. "Come on, Seto. Ya need t' eat somethin' fillin'."

The brunet sighed and heaved himself out of the chair. "What's for dinner? Something with ground beef, I assume."

The younger boy flashed him a smile and replied, "Beef stroganoff. I didn't have the chance t' get t' the store and buy that beef fillet that ya like so much, so I did the best with what I had. Ya know most of that stuff is goin' bad because of how long it's been in—" He mewed in surprise as the brunet grabbed him from behind and looked back at him confusedly. "…Seto?"

"You're amazing. I just thought you might like to know that," Seto whispered, before pressing a kiss to his cheek and continuing toward the kitchen.

Joey touched his cheek where the brunet had kissed it in surprise and looked down at his feet. His surprise quickly melted into shame. How could he ever think that Seto would hurt him, would do something as terrible as raping him? Seto would never be that horrible—he had been the horrible one, the bad mate, all because he was too stupid to realize that his mate was possessed!

Seto froze as he heard a small sob, then turned around sharply. "…Joey! Oh, God—what did I do?!"

The blond whimpered and held his arms out for a hug. "Hold me please."

The older boy was quick to do as he was told, frowning in concern as his lover sobbed into his chest. "…Joey, what's wrong?"

"You… you'd never understand!" Joey exclaimed, looking up at him sadly. "You'll just send me away, and—and regret everything we've done! I… I-I don't want ya t' leave me."

The brunet began petting the younger boy gently, shushing him as he continued to cry into his chest. "Shh… Just tell me what's wrong, puppy. Get it off your chest."

"Nn…" The younger boy whimpered and looked away from him. "…You… Ya remember when ya had that nightmare? Before I got mad at ya, and ya fel outta bed?"

Seto frowned again. "…Yes…"

"You… Something made ya loopy—not yourself. You att—" He cut himself off nervously, but then the brunet began petting him again, comforting him enough to continue. "…You attacked me. You were gonna m—fuck me. Even though I didn't want it." He flinched as the older boy stiffened in his arms and hurriedly held him tighter. "It wasn't you, though! I learned some stuff—somethin' had possessed ya! It wasn't you! And—and I know—I hurt ya so bad, because I didn't realize that you'd never do that to me! I… I'm a _horrible mate!_" he sobbed, burying his face in the other boy's shoulder.

"No, no, no…" The Dragon Master hugged him tighter and nuzzled the top of his head. "Stop saying that. You're not a horrible mate. You're just… afraid."

"But _what do I have to be afraid of?!_" Joey exclaimed, looking up at him desperately for an answer. "You're so kind, and lovin', and patient, and I—I—oh, God, my parents and their stupid fucked up relationship—and I'm draggin' it into mine-!"

Seto hugged the blond still closer, letting him nuzzle into his neck the way he knew he liked to in order to feel safe. "It's okay, Joey. Calm down."

After a few minutes of just murmuring quietly to the smaller boy, assuring him that everything would be okay, he leaned back and tried to process what he'd been told. So something had attacked him and made him molest his own mate, and he had known nothing. All he remembered was going to sleep with his mate, then walking into the cave to try and comfort him only to get yelled at. All of the time in between was a blank—not that that was anything special, because he often found himself missing parts of days if they weren't significant enough to warrant his attention.

But his puppy was blaming himself because he hadn't been able to see that it wasn't _him_ doing those things to him.

Sighing, Seto shook his head, then cupped the blond's chin to tilt his head up for a gentle kiss. As the younger boy whimpered against his lips, he lifted his hand to brush his tears away. After breaking the kiss, he began to press comforting kisses along his cheek until he reached the corner of his eye, where he paused until the tears trickled to a stop.

Joey hiccupped quietly and sniffled, then lifted his teary gaze to the older boy's and bit his bottom lip. "…Aren't you angry with me?"

The brunet gave him another quick kiss before leaning his forehead against the smaller teen's. "Of course I'm angry. You should have told me sooner." He frowned and pressed another faint kiss to the blond's lips before continuing, "I would have been able to help you then, puppy…"

The blond looked away from him and sighed helplessly. "…I just seem t' be makin' all the wrong decisions. I'm sorry, Seto."

"Hmm… Up, pup," Seto ordered, giving him a firm pat on the butt, before grabbing the back of his thighs.

"Ooh!" Joey blushed as he was lifted upward and hooked his legs over the brunet's hips. He blushed even more when Seto looked down at his stomach and smiled. "Seto…"

"Mm, when you get near the end of your pregnancy, I may not be able to carry you like this." He chuckled quietly. "The baby's in the way."

The blond frowned and looked away from him. "…Why are ya bein' so kind t' me, even after I told ya I…"

"Puppy, you had every right to be afraid. I'd be afraid too, if I were you." Seto nuzzled his neck lovingly. "Please trust me when I say I'm not mad at you. Okay?"

Joey sighed and laid his head on the brunet's shoulder. "…Okay."

"If you need me to prove it, I'll willingly skip dinner and take you up to our room—"

"YOU NEED TO EAT!"

"Okay, okay, I'm going!"

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto wasn't quite sure where to put _anything,_ apparently. Joey sighed and rested his head in his hand, shaking his head slightly in exasperation. "Seto, you're a genius. Why couldn't ya figure this out?"

"I don't know where you like to put your things!" the brunet exclaimed defensively. "Don't look at me like that!"

The blond stared at him blandly for a few more moments before sighing again and stepping further into the room. "Alright, let's unpack all of this crap then." He turned toward the older boy and tilted his head. "…Could ya just put my clothes in the dresser with yours, please?"

Seto frowned in confusion. "Wouldn't you still want your own dresser?"

"Probably after I have the baby. Until then, I'm just gonna steal your sweatpants and sweaters."

The brunet blinked at him for a few moments, stunned, then scowled. "Are you going to wear my underwear, too?"

Joey snorted and dug into a box to pull out his toiletries. "Psh, like I'm even gonna _bother_ with underwear. The baby's gettin' too big, and I don't wanna spend money buyin' huge underwear that I'm never gonna—well, okay, I'll need _one_ more time, but—_OHMYGOD!_" He jumped as he felt a hand slip down the back of his pants and tried to scramble away, only to find himself spun around to be hugged firmly against the brunet's chest. "S-Seto!"

"Mm, you really _aren't_ wearing any underwear," Seto murmured, giving the cheek beneath his hand a squeeze.

"You could've just asked oh my God let go of me get your hand outta there!" the blond exclaimed, reaching back to grab his wrist. He mewled quietly as the older boy began kissing his neck and closed his eyes tightly. "Ooh… W-we should get some of my stuff unpacked, S-Setooo…!"

The older boy chuckled and began kissing his neck. "We will."

Joey squirmed frantically, shivering as the brunet's teeth dragged along his neck. "But I can't do it when you're touchin' me like this!"

Seto pressed a few more kisses to the blond's neck before finally releasing him. "Fine, but I'm doing naughty things to you when we go to bed."

The younger boy squeaked in embarrassment and hurriedly disappeared halfway into a box to find something. What he was finding, he wasn't quite sure, but he needed to do _something_ that could keep himself busy—and away from his grabby mate!

He jumped slightly a few minutes later when he heard a startled shriek and turned around, only to have to quickly catch a shoe box as it was flung into the air. "Ack!"

"…Why didn't you _tell me there were still dragons in there?!_" Seto shouted, glaring at him.

Joy poked his head out of the box and squeaked in outrage, then ducked back into the box with a huff. Codi poked her head out and blinked for a moment, then smiled brightly when she saw Seto. Then, she ducked back down into the box as well.

Joey frowned. "Jeez, we toss this box all over the place. How are their eggs stayin' in there?"

"…They're _magical,_" the brunet spat, still glaring at him. "Do you know what it feels like to open a box and see living things in it!?"

"…Do you know what it feels like t' be sucked into a book world and find out that you're in charge?" the blond deadpanned. "Honestly, I'm surprised ya didn't find 'em sooner."

Seto huffed and crossed his arms. "Don't forget that I was with you when we were sucked in."

Joey blinked at him for a moment, then shrugged and turned, setting the dragons' 'nest' on a nearby table. "Whatever. Ya still should've expected them."

"Wha-? …Just for that, I'm going to do _especially_ naughty things to you and _you won't stop me._"

The blond squeaked and dove back into a box.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Well, the room was nice and tidy now, all of the boxes had been emptied, and Joey had finally placed Joy and Codi in the bathroom. He didn't know why they liked the bathroom. It concerned him a little. He'd ask Soumya about it later. …After he apologized to Kisara for ever thinking her master would hurt him.

Joey gasped quietly as Seto grabbed him from behind and began kissing his neck. "Seto-! I-I didn't think ya were serious!"

Seto hummed quietly and stroked the blond's stomach slowly. "But it's been an entire month without you…"

"Can ya make it a month and a day?!" the younger boy squeaked, then began struggling with more force. "Seto, no! Please, I don't wanna—"

The brunet frowned and immediately released him, and felt a pang of hurt and sadness when his mate scrambled a few feet away and turned to face him, as if… as if he didn't trust him enough to leave himself vulnerable. So his puppy was sorry he hadn't trusted him before, but… he still didn't trust him.

Joey frowned as the brunet suddenly turned and walked for the door, then quietly asked, "…Seto?"

Seto paused in the doorway. "…I would _never_ force you into something you don't want," he snapped after a moment, then continued walking.

"…Huh?" The blond groaned when he realized what he'd done. "Seto-! _Seto!_ Wait, that's not what I meant!" He ran for the door and peered out into the hall but only found himself in time to watch the brunet's office door slam shut. "…Seto…" He whimpered for a moment before hesitantly walking over to the door that had closed on him. "…Seto?"

"Go to bed, Joey."

Joey winced as the cold tone and took a step back despite himself. "…B-but Seto—"

"_Go. To bed._"

The blond flinched again, then let out a helpless sob and turned to do as he was told. Even though he'd made up with Seto, even though he'd told him what had happened and why, he was still hurting him and making him angry. Seto was wrong; he _was_ a bad mate.

Seto listened to him go and sighed. He wasn't angry anymore, but he was frustrated. Why would Joey just pretend that everything was okay? That they'd made up and nothing was wrong? His puppy just didn't understand how a normal, healthy relationship was supposed to go. One partner wasn't supposed to keep secrets or hide feelings from the other; that's why they were called partners!

And he couldn't even blame Joey.

He'd lived through his parents arguing and fighting and yelling until finally one of them got fed up and left. What was worse was that the one that got fed up and left—his mother—had taken the only one he truly cared about—and had truly cared about him. He was probably terrified that eventually, Seto would just get fed up and leave him, too, and maybe take the baby like his mother had taken his sister.

Sighing, the brunet stood up from his desk and began toward the door. He'd made his puppy cry.

Seto peeked into the bedroom and frowned in concern when he found the blond splayed out on the bed, still in his clothes, and sobbing into his pillow. Sighing in momentary defeat, he slipped into the room and made his way over to him to strip off his pup's socks. As the younger boy mewled and looked up at him in confusion, he busied himself with gathering his pajamas and turning out the lights.

Joey whimpered as the older boy stripped him of his shirt and replaced it with a thicker, softer shirt. "Seto—"

The brunet placed a finger to his lips and shot him a silencing stare, then continued to help him change. After he'd tucked the younger boy in and had stripped down to his boxers, he slid beneath the covers and placed an arm over the blond's waist, allowing him the chance to remove it if he felt uncomfortable.

He couldn't help a quiet purr as his pup turned and snuggled against his chest, still whimpering a little as he fell asleep.

They'd talk in the morning.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: This may seem like a filler. Be aware that it is not, because behind the scenes… well, there's chaos. But in the story's "behind the scenes," evil is afoot, don't forget.

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Seto peeked into the bedroom and frowned in concern when he found the blond splayed out on the bed, still in his clothes, and sobbing into his pillow. Sighing in momentary defeat, he slipped into the room and made his way over to him to strip off his pup's socks. As the younger boy mewled and looked up at him in confusion, he busied himself with gathering his pajamas and turning out the lights._

_Joey whimpered as the older boy stripped him of his shirt and replaced it with a thicker, softer shirt. "Seto—"_

_The brunet placed a finger to his lips and shot him a silencing stare, then continued to help him change. After he'd tucked the younger boy in and had stripped down to his boxers, he slid beneath the covers and placed an arm over the blond's waist, allowing him the chance to remove it if he felt uncomfortable._

_He couldn't help a quiet purr as his pup turned and snuggled against his chest, still whimpering a little as he fell asleep._

_They'd talk in the morning._

Chapter 13

Seto frowned in confusion as he began to wake. He couldn't feel a familiar, soft body against his. He couldn't feel the heat of his mate, the warmth he was always filled with when he was nearby. He sat up in confusion and looked around. His puppy was missing from the bed.

He jumped slightly as he heard a snap and turned sharply to find his missing puppy on the floor near one of the empty boxes, popping some of the bubble wrap that had come in it. Frowning, he sat up. "…Joey?"

Joey jumped a little and turned to look over at his shoulder at him, then hurriedly looked back at the bubble wrap and began popping it again. "G'mornin'."

It hadn't been hurried enough for Seto to miss his red, puffy eyes or the tear stains on his cheeks.

"Why are you crying now, puppy?" Seto sighed, standing up slowly.

"I don't _wanna_ cry, I just—" The blond sniffed and wiped his eyes. "…I just don't know… It's these stupid girly _hormones._ A-and you're _mad_ at me. And this stupid bubble wrap _isn't making me feel better_ when it usually _does!_" he snapped, throwing the sheet of mostly-popped bubble wrap back at the box. When it failed to hit it, however, the blond covered his face and tried to force back the renewed urge to sob his heart out. "How do girls deal with all this shit anyway?!"

Seto had planned on speaking with his mate about what had happened last night, but he suddenly felt no urge to do so. Sighing again, he knelt down beside him and pulled him into a hug. "Well, I think you're doing a good job of dealing with all the female hormones."

"I'm gettin' tears and snot all over ya!" Joey exclaimed, trying to pull away, only to whimper as the brunet yanked him back against him. "…I'm not dealin' well at _all._"

"Well, considering this is month five, you've dealt with them well until now." The older boy smiled a little and began petting his hair slowly. "And it's only a little under four months until you don't have to deal with it anymore."

"No, I need t' have another—Seto?" The blond peered up at him from beneath his bangs nervously. "…Do ya like livin' in the mansion?"

Seto raised an eyebrow, perplexed by the sudden change of topic. "…Well, I'm not particularly fond of the thought of living elsewhere."

"…Oh." Joey sighed and leaned his head on the brunet's shoulder. "…I'm sorry about last night, Seto. I guess… I guess I'm not a very good mate."

The brunet growled in frustration. "You're not a bad mate—and why do you care if I like living in the mansion-? Joey, what's going on?"

The younger boy looked down at his lap and began picking at a loose thread in his pajama pants. "…I trust ya with my life. I know I do. I don't know why I reacted like that last night. I love ya a lot, but I dunno why I acted like that. I'm so sorry. I never meant t' hurt you…"

Seto winced as the blond began to sob again, then quickly pulled him into his arms. "Oh, puppy…"

"'nd—I was just wonderin' 'bout the mansion, because—because—"

"Take a breath, puppy," the brunet sighed, patting him on the back. "Gather your thoughts."

Joey whimpered and sniffled for a few moments before sitting back and hurriedly wiping his face. "I was just… thinkin' that maybe…" He glanced up at the older boy through his bangs nervously. "…Ya might wanna move to a smaller place?"

Seto raised an eyebrow. "And why would I want to go through the trouble of packing everything up, putting it in storage, and moving to a smaller place? Why make Mokuba move when he graduates in a few years?"

"Ya know what! It was a stupid question anyway!" the blond exclaimed quickly, then hurriedly got to his feet. "I'm gonna take a shower 'cause I've got snot all over me, so—"

The older boy frowned and caught his hand before he could get away. "Puppy, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Why did you ask-?"

Joey slipped his hand out of the brunet's and continued toward the bathroom, trying to force back another wave of tears that he didn't want to have but had no choice because of his stupid hormones. "It doesn't matter! It was just a stupid question!" He shut the door behind him before the older boy could question him further and leaned against it, biting his bottom lip to keep from sobbing until he could muffle the sound with the running water of the shower.

How was he supposed to tell Seto that he'd never wanted to live in such a big place? How was he supposed to say that he'd had a 'dream house' since he was small? He couldn't just say that he wanted a nice two-story house in a good neighborhood with a garden in the back and a nice green lawn in front surrounded by a white picket fence! Seto would just laugh at him for being so sentimental and just blame it on his hormones too!

He was already tired of crying. He was tired of making his mate angry, and arguing over the smallest things. He just wanted to make him happy.

And if living in the mansion and keeping his stupid mouth shut would make him happy, he'd do that.

Joey sniffled and wiped his tears away quickly, then stepped away from the door and began stripping himself; he really did feel gross from the dried tears and snot on his arms and face. It was probably better that he just accept everything for what it was. He wasn't going to get his dream house, he wasn't ever going to be a good mate no matter how hard he tried, and he wasn't going to be comfortable with his mate ever again because of his stupid childhood and his stupid fear of being abandoned.

What had he done to deserve this?

* * *

_ZOMG! Have a lemon with a dash of fluff. Lol, imagine a fluffy lemon. Not a moldy one, just a fluffy one. CUTE MENTAL PICTURE._

* * *

Seto leaned his head against the door as he heard his lover begin to whimper again, then winced as the shower was quickly turned on—probably to drown out the noise. After a few moments, he let out an angry rumble, but hurriedly stifled the noise. His puppy didn't need to know how upset he was at the moment.

Opening the door slowly, he nearly choked as he was immediately met with steam. He knew his puppy liked hot showers, but this was ridiculous! Huffing in annoyance at his pup's blatant disrespect for his own body (didn't it scald his poor soft skin?!), he kicked off his boxers and began toward the shower as well, pausing near Joey's clothes. Was that a little blood on his shirt?

Seto frowned and pulled the curtain back a little to peek at the blond, then sighed in exasperation; he'd bitten through his bottom lip again. He waited until the younger boy had turned to face the shower head before stepping into the shower with him and sliding the curtain back into place.

Joey faced into the water for a few more moments, sighing as his muscles began to relax under all of the hot water. Deciding he wouldn't be getting his muscles to relax anymore than they already were, he turned to rinse his hair so he could begin shampooing it only to squeak in surprise as all he could see was glowing blue eyes before a pair of familiar hands grasped his hips tightly, pulling him flush against what he now saw was his mate's body.

"Mn-! Don't do that ya jerk ya scared the crap outta me!" The blond blushed as the older boy smirked and tried to look angry, but he was more than a little nervous as his glowing eyes only got brighter. "…S-Seto?"

"You've seemed to forget that I care about you deeply, puppy. I don't like it when you hide things from me," Seto stated quietly, dipping his head closer.

'_So are you mad at me then?!'_ Joey wondered frantically, anxiously watching him in case he decided a spanking was in order; with the water, it would sting even more!

The brunet watched as the younger boy began to tremble a little, cheeks flushing even darker, before he scowled and leaned forward to lower the temperature of the water. "You're going to scald yourself, puppy."

"I like the water nice and hot!" the blond exclaimed defensively, only to let out a helpless mew as his mate suddenly crushed their bodies together again. "Seto!"

Seto nuzzled his neck gently, hands moving over his body slowly but soothingly as he let his mouth descend on his warm shoulder. "There's a difference… between nice and hot… and hot enough to burn…"

"But I can heal myself an'—Ooh… Ooh, Seto… Nn, that's nice…" The younger boy whimpered quietly and went up on his toes, digging his nails into the brunet's shoulders slightly. "Oh… Seto…"

The brunet smirked as his mate continued to mewl and whimper as he ran his hands and mouth over his body, pleased that he'd successfully distracted him, then turned to lean against the wall, slipping his knee between the blond's legs as he fell against him. "Mm, do you like this, puppy?"

Joey gasped quietly as the brunet caught his earlobe between his teeth, then moaned as the leg between his rubbed against him insistently. "Yes, yes, yes… Nn… But-!" He groaned loudly as the older boy grabbed his ass and rubbed him more adamantly against his leg. "Aaahhhh… But—aren't you—mad at me-? Oh _God._"

Seto rolled his eyes and slid one of his hands around a little further, gently rubbing around his entrance. "No, puppy, I'm not mad." He smirked again as the blond wriggled against him before he gently slipped a finger inside. "Mm, still so warm."

"Ooh!" The blond went up on his toes again and mewled, then bit his bottom lip. "Nn… Yes… More…"

The brunet groaned quietly as he slipped in a second finger. "God, I forgot how tight you were. Did you touch yourself while you were away?"

"_No!_" Joey exclaimed quickly, flushing even darker. "Like I'd want Yug' and Yami t' hear me!"

Seto smirked lewdly and slid his arm around the blond's waist as his legs began trembling. "Mm, so you're a little out of practice. Let me help you get used to it again…"

"Uh…" The younger boy bit his bottom lip anxiously, gasping as the older boy's fingers rubbed against him in a way that he'd nearly forgotten. "_Uhn!_ Seto!"

The brunet held him tighter as his knees gave out and began to purr. "Mm, it's like the first time all over again… Except my tongue isn't up your—"

"Seto!"

"…Ass."

Joey closed his eyes tightly as he felt his cheeks heat up again in embarrassment. "Seto! Ya know I don't like it when ya—"

"Mm, that's exactly why I do it, though," the older boy murmured, slowly spreading his fingers to stretch him. "You're so beautiful when you blush, especially when your eyes are so dark with arousal." He buried his face in the blond's neck lovingly. "You're so beautiful, and your eyes are so expressive… If you just look at me with a 'come hither' expression, I'd come running." He paused, then chuckled quietly. "Or I'd just come."

The younger boy gasped quietly as a third finger slipped in and moaned. "I dunno what that means but it sounds really good…"

"It means you look at me with an expression that just screams for sex. It _does_ sound good, doesn't it?" Seto grinned playfully before capturing the blond's lips in a long, languid kiss as he pressed his fingers deeper. He swallowed the younger boy's pleased moans and whimpers lovingly, delving his tongue further as his fingers rubbed over the blond's prostate over and over.

Joey broke the kiss quickly and panted against his neck, trembling meekly against the brunet's body as he was reminded of one of the things he'd been missing while they'd been separated. "S-Seto-! I want… I want ya inside me…" He blushed and closed his eyes tightly in embarrassment as he heard the older boy chuckle. "S-shut up!"

"No, puppy, that's not it," the brunet replied, still smiling. "I was just thinking about whether I should prepare you more since it's been so long, but then you tell me you want me to take you…"

"I want ya in me so bad!" the blond mewled, then smiled a little when he heard the older boy growl his approval. "Please, Seto... Oh-!" He squeaked in surprise as the brunet grabbed his hips and lifted him upward, then moaned quietly when he felt the head of his cock rubbing against his entrance. "Nn… Seto…"

Seto nuzzled the blond's shoulder slowly. "I'm going to go slow because it's been a while. Okay?"

"Yes…" Joey moaned as he felt the brunet slide inside him slowly, brows drawing together slightly in discomfort. "Ooh, I forgot how big ya are. Nn, just a little further… _Ah!_" He tossed his head back and whimpered quietly. "There!"

The brunet moaned and nuzzled his neck. "I forgot how good it feels to be inside you…"

"Ooh… Seto, I—" The younger boy squeaked. "Seto we're gonna fall—"

Seto's foot seemed to choose that moment to lose all traction and slipped out from under him, sending them crashing to the ground. "Ow!"

"Nyeek!"

The brunet winced a little and rubbed his tailbone. "You okay, Joey?"

Joey frowned and nodded. "Yeah, I landed on you, stupid. Are _you_ okay, dragon?"

Seto pondered the question for a moment before smirking and leaning his forehead against the other boy's. "I feel okay enough to continue what we were doing. How about you, puppy?"

The blond blushed hotly and looked away. "I-I dunno, Seto, that looked like it hurt ya—" He gasped quietly as the older boy gave him a little bounce and blushed even more as he bucked his hips forward, looking away bashfully and ashamed that he would put his pleasure above his mate's health. "…I guess if ya feel okay…"

"Mm… More than okay, puppy," the brunet purred, giving him another bounce, before grabbing his hips and lifting him up.

Joey mewled quietly and slid his arms around the older boy's neck, using his legs as leverage to help him. "Ooh, Seto— Mm, right there… Yes…"

Seto sighed and leaned his head against his mate's lovingly, purring. "It's been so long, puppy. I love you. Nn-!" He grunted as the blond clenched down on him and shot him a playful glare. "You did that on purpose."

"Maybe," the younger boy cooed, then yelped loudly as the brunet yanked him down harder. "_Aha!_"

"If you're going to tease me, I think I have the right to tease you," the older boy murmured, smirking.

"But you're gonna make me come…!" Joey whined, tears forming in his eyes as the brunet grasped his erection and began stroking it in time with their thrusts. "Nyoh-! Seto!"

Seto chuckled quietly. "It's been so long, puppy, I don't think either of us is going to last much longer."

"But I wanna—please, I wanna—" The blond whimpered and nuzzled his face into the older boy's neck. "Oh… Ooh, _oh!_"

The brunet began to purr as his mate climaxed, body trembling from the force. "Mm, you're just as beautiful as I remember…"

Joey whimpered again as the older boy let out a roar and he felt how his body tensed and his hands gripped him tighter and he heard him whisper he loved him and he wondered how he'd ever stayed away from him for more than a few days. "Seto…"

* * *

_Ohmygoodness, wouldja look at this! It's the end of the fluffy lemon!_

* * *

Seto frowned as he heard the blond sob, then leaned back in confusion. "Pup? Joey, did I hurt you? Did I go too fast?"

"I missed ya so much," the younger boy whispered, then let out another whimper. "I'm so sorry I stayed away for so long. I tried t' ignore how much I missed ya, but I realize now, the only way I'd managed that was t' do somethin' else. I'm sorry it took me so long. I'm so sorry."

The brunet sighed and reached a hand up to wipe away the tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "Puppy, I'm not angry with you. I never meant to make you think that. I'm not mad, I'm just… frustrated. I'm trying to get some things going at work, and I've been worrying about you and the baby, and keeping Mokuba out of trouble, and a hundred other things. I never meant to take it out on you."

Joey sniffed and caught his hand, twining their fingers together. "I'm still sorry… It was like there was a big hole where you were s'posed t' be, and I can't imagine how it was for you…"

"Don't worry about it, puppy. I love you," Seto added quietly, before he leaned in to give him a chaste kiss. When he pulled back, he glared at the showerhead in distaste—as it had been beating down on them the whole time but he couldn't bring himself to care while he was intimate with his puppy. "What a complete waste of water."

The blond couldn't help a giggle at that. "At least ya turned the hot water down so it didn't all go t' waste."

The older boy shot him a sour look before helping him to his feet, wincing a little as his bruised tailbone reminded him of their fall. "Nn… Stop looking at the bright side. Let me be pissed off for a few minutes."

"…You've got the money t' pay for it…"

"I said stop." Seto took a few minutes to help clean his puppy up before letting out a frustrated sigh. "I guess I spoiled your shower plans."

Joey smiled up at him sweetly. "It was a nice shower anyway. I'll wash my hair later. I'm goin' t' Mythaven, so I'll probably need t' wash off the dog slobber anyway."

"Hmm…" The brunet eyed him skeptically before nodding in defeat; his puppy obviously didn't need to be made upset again this morning. "Fine."

Everything went from fine to mortifying as the older boy slid back the curtain to find Joy blinking at them innocently, hovering in the air in front of them. Joey let out a shriek and ducked behind the curtain, wrapping it around him in hopes of at least a _little_ modesty. Seto sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "For the love of God."

"…" Joy blinked again, face creasing into an awkward frown. _"…Mee?"_

"Give me a fuckin' towel so I can get outta here!" Joey exclaimed, smacking the brunet on the shoulder. "Please!? Oh my God, I forgot they were in here!"

Seto rolled his eyes as he passed the younger boy a towel. This was the dragon that had hidden next to penis so he wouldn't get blown away in the wind _[1]._ It didn't care whether or not they were naked.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"So, puppy, what was—"

"I don't wanna talk about it!" Joey squeaked hurriedly. He was too embarrassed to talk about the shower.

Seto raised an eyebrow. "…I was going to ask about why you wanted to know what I felt about the mansion."

The blond froze, eyes widening. He hadn't realized that Seto might question him about it!

He yelped as the skillet he was holding was yanked out of his hand and slammed on the back burner before he was spun into his mate's embrace, and he heard the snap as the stove was hurriedly turned off. "Ooph!"

"Are you okay, Joey?" Seto asked quickly, grabbing his hand to examine it. He scowled as he found the blond's skin had turned bright red and a blister was forming on his palm. "Did you forget how hot the handle of that can get? Here…"

Joey blushed as his hand was drawn under the faucet and winced a little as he turned the cold water on. "Ah!" He mewled helplessly as the brunet rubbed the burn gently with his thumb. "Seto, ya don't hafta—"

"I know I don't have to. You can heal yourself. Sometimes I just want to take care of my mate; is that okay with you?" the older boy snapped, making him wince again. Sighing in frustration, he turned his head and buried his face in the blond's neck. "Sorry. It's just that you're keeping things from me again. …It hurts when you do that."

"…I'm sorry," Joey whispered, frowning. "I didn't mean t' hurt you…"

Seto nuzzled his neck slowly before leaning back. "…Joey? Why did you ask about how I felt about moving out of the mansion?"

The blond healed his hand and looked down at his feet, lifting one of his hands up to grab the older boy's shirt. "I… I don't like livin' in the mansion, Seto."

"Fine. Then we'll move out."

Joey blinked, then leaned back and looked up at his mate—whom he loved very, _very_ dearly—in confusion. "…Are you completely stupid?"

Seto smiled slightly and dipped his head to give him a chaste kiss. "Puppy, I don't care where we live, as long as I'm with you. I didn't say I _loved_ living here; I said I disliked the idea of moving." At that, his smile immediately faded to an annoyed frown. "I don't know what I'll do with half of the crap in this stupid mansion if we move. What would I do with it? Why put it in storage if we'll never use it?"

The blond tilted his head innocently. "…Well, ya could sell the mansion already furnished. Or, or ya could auction your stuff off and donate the money t' charity. I wanna move somewhere smaller, that I can clean myself and watch the kids easier—maybe closer t' school, closer t' work. What do ya think?"

"I think that if you can get Mokuba to agree with you, then I'll figure something out," the older boy replied, smiling again, before he leaned in for a kiss. "Anything to make you happy."

"Mm… Yeah…" Joey sighed and leaned in for another kiss. "I love you…"

Seto growled and slid his arms around the blond's waist, taking that chance to dominate his mouth lovingly. He moaned as the younger boy's tongue began battling with his fiercely and turned, slamming him down on the table. "Mine!"

"Eep! Seto, wait—" The blond whimpered and hooked his legs over his hips, tilting his head so that the older boy had more access to his neck. "Ooh…"

"Hey, Joey, what's for—OHMYGOD!!!!!" Mokuba shouted, covering his eyes. "Can I go _nowhere_ in this house without finding you two getting it on?!"

Joey squeaked and hurriedly kicked the older boy away. "Oh God, Mokie, I'm sorry!"

Seto grunted in pain as he banged against the counter and reached back to rub his bruised tailbone; he'd never realized how much it hurt! "Ow."

"Mokie! Whatta ya think about movin' somewhere smaller?!" the blond asked quickly, before he could go on about how he was scarred for the life and he would never be able to look at the kitchen the same way again.

The younger boy paused, then tilted his head thoughtfully. "…Would there be a possibility of having your bedroom soundproofed before we move in?"

Seto sighed as his mate sputtered and turned bright red before he fled the room. "…Yes, the room will be soundproofed."

"Then I don't mind, as long as I get to have a game room," Mokuba replied, shrugging. After a moment, he frowned. "…Why are there a dozen half-baked pancakes on the back stove?"

"…There may have been a possibility that I lost my temper when Joey burned himself and just slammed them there before I yanked him away," the brunet stated slowly, tapping his fingers together.

"…" Mokuba sighed and sagged in defeat. He knew he'd embarrassed Joey, but he supposed he was just like his brother in that sense; whereas Seto thought it was cute, he thought it was hilarious how the blond got flustered and embarrassed, and they both liked to systematically (and sadistically) tease him. But he was hungry. "…I don't suppose you—"

"I touch nothing that is meant for human consumption," Seto cut in, crossing his arms. "Because by the time I'm finished with it, it's not consumable anyway."

The younger boy sighed again. "…I didn't think you would." Turning, he let out the most pathetic whine he could. "_JOEY! I'M HUNGRY!_"

Joey poked his still pink face around the corner, frowning. "…Ya sure me an' Seto aren't gonna _traumatize_ ya anymore?" When the raven-haired teen nodded, he smiled and stepped back into the kitchen. "Breakfast will be ready in about fifteen minutes!"

Seto grabbed an apple in the meantime and took a bite, eying his brother thoughtfully. "…What are you going to do when you go off to university, anyway? Eat cup-noodles, sandwiches, and fast food until you graduate and get married?"

Mokuba sat down at the table and tilted his head. "…I'm either going to pray that my roommate can cook, or I'm going to commute back to Domino each weekend for a home-cooked meal."

"…Or, you could, ya know, befriend a local girl, date her, and she'll cook for ya," the blond drawled, rolling his eyes a little as he took the oven mitt that his lover offered him so he wouldn't burn himself again. "Thank you."

"Mm hmm," the brunet hummed, leaning in for a quick kiss.

Mokuba thought about acting grossed out, but he decided he liked watching his brother and Joey getting along like an old married couple, especially after the entire month they'd been apart and the whole hospital episode. He liked being a part of a real family again, with his brother and some sort of 'mother figure' (even if that mother was actually a male). And the family would only get bigger, with his nephew on the way and a possible second (or even third!) child as they tried for a girl, which would then be his niece.

Mokuba frowned, then gasped and stood up quickly. "Oh my _Gawd_ I'm gonna be an _UNCLE!_"

Joey turned to blink at him. "…Where have _you_ been for the last five months?"

"_You_ didn't really realize you were going to be a mother until your third month," Seto pointed out, taking another bite of his apple. "…While having a mood swing, I think. When you were complaining about your pants not fitting."

The blond turned an embarrassed glare on him. "Oh yeah?! So when are _you_ gonna realize you're a dad, huh?!"

The older boy shrugged indifferently. "I already did." When he saw his lover's incredulous (and slightly angry) expression, he sighed and added in a deadpan, "I fainted on you."

"…Oh. …Wait, how come you realized before I did then if I'm the one havin' it!" Joey exclaimed in confusion, frowning.

Seto sighed again. "My dear, I realize this may be hard for you to believe, but as much as I want children, the fact of the matter is, I don't know if I'll be a good father. When I fainted, I realized that this was really happening; I'm having a baby with the man I love and I have no idea how I'm going to deal with it."

Mokuba frowned at him, also confused. "I think you'll be a great father. …You took great care of me…"

"Yeah, and Mokuba turned out t' be a great kid!" Joey added quickly.

"…Yes, by bribing his brother-in-law to buy porn for him and hiding it under his mattress." The brunet was pleased to see both boys blush and look away from him momentarily. "Perfect child, obviously."

"You raised me to be sneaky and manipulative! We're businessmen!" the younger boy exclaimed defensively.

"…Yeah," the brunet deadpanned.

Joey frowned in confusion and looked up at him as if for an answer to his unasked question. When he realized none was forthcoming, he quietly stated, "Seto, I'm not his brother-in-law. We're not married or anything."

"Ah, but I intend for us to be. With a small wedding in front of your friends in Mythaven, where Jace will marry us and Kankana, Kisara, Aoi, and Shira will bawl their eyes out like mothers." He held up his hands as if framing the picture of it in front of him. "Not a very big wedding cake, but a nice one. And not pink, and without that stupid married couple on top. And you'll throw the bouquet, and the franks will freak out and destroy it, and I will laugh because no one will have caught it."

The blond blinked at him for a moment before slowly stating, "…You _intend_ for us to be."

Seto frowned. "Are you saying you don't want us to be married?"

"No of course that's not what I'm sayin' I was just pointin' out that that was a really rude way t' ask someone t' marry ya!" the younger teen answered quickly.

"…Puppy, I haven't asked you to marry me yet," the brunet pointed out. "And I intend to do that too. I am _not_ going to tell my children that I proposed to their mother in the kitchen while he was making pancakes simply because I'd gotten our wedding planned out in my head."

Joey blinked at him for a moment before smiling sweetly. "You're so _romantic._"

"I resent that!"

"Bein' romantic isn't a bad thing, Seto."

"I imagined _franks_ ruining the _bouquet!_ That _has_ to qualify as unromantic!" the brunet exclaimed.

Joey turned to give him a patronizing look, one hand resting on his hip. "Well, fine. I _was_ gonna give ya the snoggin' of a lifetime for bein' so romantic, but since ya don't wanna be—"

Seto paused. "…Well, maybe I'm a _little_ romantic."

"…Just a little," the blond agreed, smiling, before launching himself at him.

Mokuba watched both of the older teens tumble to the floor and sighed, resting his chin in his hand as he heard a small squeal. "I'll keep an eye on the pancakes; don't mind me." After a few minutes had passed and he'd had to listen to them sucking face, however, he changed his mind. Standing up, he slammed his hands down on the table and shouted, "Mind me! I'm right here in the room with you! _MIND ME!_"

Joey squeaked and flew up off the floor as quickly as possible, hurriedly slapping away his still very grabby mate's hands from his body. "Pancakes! I'm makin' pancakes!"

"…Making love would be so much more interesting, though," Seto pointed out, only to receive a kick for his statement. "Ow!"

"Your _brother_ is in here!" the blond screeched, blushing brightly.

The older boy turned his head to eye his brother thoughtfully, then sighed in defeat; the mood (or the one he'd been heading for had his brother not shouted at him) had definitely been broken. "Fine, fine. …Mokuba, go grab the paper for me, will you? Pull the classifieds out for Joey to look at some houses. You can help him if you want. Pick something you both like and that I won't absolutely want to raze and rebuild."

Mokuba smiled brightly and looked at the blond violently flipping the pancakes (apparently, still embarrassed). "This is gonna be so much fun! The only time I actually remember moving was when Seto and I came here, and it's still a little fuzzy. I've never actually moved before!"

Joey turned to smile back at him. "It's fantastic! It's like a big spring-cleanin' and ya throw out all the stuff ya don't want and if the house is just a _little_ wrong for ya then ys can fix it! I remember helpin' my dad paint the…" His smile began to fade at that. "…Paint the house. It was green; my mom wanted it beige."

"…I refuse to help you paint the house," Seto deadpanned.

The blond frowned at him. "…But Seto…"

"I have to deal with all the crap inside this mansion and the entire mansion itself. You and Mokuba can fix the house however you want because I don't care where I stay as long as there's a hot meal and a comfortable bed waiting for me," the brunet stated, sitting at the table with a small wince. "Actually, I don't even need those if you two are there. We could be hermits in the mountains and I wouldn't care much."

Mokuba smiled. "That's nice of you to say that, Seto. But we all know it's a lie."

"…I need my laptop," the older boy admitted. "But the sentiment is still there. I can lose my laptop, my cell phone, my house… but I can't lose you."

Joey smiled happily. "Aw, Seto, you're so much more romantic than ya give yourself credit for."

Seto narrowed his eyes, but he decided arguing that he wasn't romantic wouldn't work. Instead, he opted for something that would take Joey's mind off his romanticism, at least for the moment. "Your pancakes are burning."

The blond spun back to the skillet and let out a frustrated screech. "_Fuck!_"

* * *

[1] Mythaven, chapter ten. True story. **:**D And I laughed my ass off by the way.


	14. Chapter 14

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

"_I have to deal with all the crap inside this mansion and the entire mansion itself. You and Mokuba can fix the house however you want because I don't care where I stay as long as there's a hot meal and a comfortable bed waiting for me," the brunet stated, sitting at the table with a small wince. "Actually, I don't even need those if you two are there. We could be hermits in the mountains and I wouldn't care much."_

_Mokuba smiled. "That's nice of you to say that, Seto. But we all know it's a lie."_

"…_I need my laptop," the older boy admitted. "But the sentiment is still there. I can lose my laptop, my cell phone, my house… but I can't lose you."_

_Joey smiled happily. "Aw, Seto, you're so much more romantic than ya give yourself credit for."_

_Seto narrowed his eyes, but he decided arguing that he wasn't romantic wouldn't work. Instead, he opted for something that would take Joey's mind off his romanticism, at least for the moment. "Your pancakes are burning."_

_The blond spun back to the skillet and let out a frustrated screech. "__**Fuck!**__"_

Chapter 14

Joey moaned quietly as he felt something rubbing his stomach and slowly blinked open his eyes, frowning. Glancing downward, he couldn't help a small smile when he saw it was Seto's hand, slowly massaging his stomach as he began placing an innocent kiss here and there, whispering something to the baby. After a moment, he whispered, "Do ya think he can even hear ya?"

"It doesn't matter; he'll hear it when he's born again and again, anyway," Seto whispered, lapping gently as the stretch marks across his belly. "He's got to protect his sister whenever she comes—whenever you decide you want her. He's got to be a good older brother—just like his mother is. Because you'd do anything for your sister, wouldn't you? I want him to feel that way for _his_ sister. He's going to have to take care of her when they start school, when boys start liking her, that sort of thing."

"Mm… I don't see why you're so worried. You're gonna be a wonderful daddy," the blond whispered, then giggled a little. "Seto, stop lickin' my tummy. That tickles."

The older boy paused, then smiled a little shifted so he was straddling the blond's legs, pushing his shirt upward as he trailed kisses up his chest. "Mm, but you're so cute when you giggle…" He dragged his tongue over the younger boy's nipple and smirked when he gasped and grabbed his shoulder. "So sensitive…"

Joey moaned and tried to wiggle his other arm out from underneath him, damning the fact that he now had to sleep on his side because of the size of his stomach. "No, Seto, wait—they're tender—"

The brunet raised an eyebrow as he leaned back. "Oh? Are you planning on breast-feeding him?"

The blond blushed and closed his eyes tightly. "N-no, of course not! T-they're just tender, okay?!" He gasped weakly as the older boy dipped his head and caught his nipple between his lips, tears forming in his eyes slightly at the nearly painful feel of it. "S-Seto, please—they're so s-sensitive—_Oh!_" He mewled helplessly as the brunet caught his other nipple between his fingers and couldn't help a tear escaping his eye. "Please… Oh, please…!"

Seto leaned back and watched him squirm for a moment, then smiled and sat up straight. "I'm sorry, puppy. It wasn't bad, was it?"

"…It… it felt good, but… it's too early," the younger boy whispered, frowning. "I'm not in the mood this soon after wakin' up. Nn, but thanks for talkin' t' the baby; I'm sure he likes it." He paused, then lifted his hands up. "Help me up, please."

The brunet chuckled and stood up, taking the younger boy's hands and gently helping him to stand up. "You're lucky you graduate in a month. I can't help but wonder how no one's noticed."

"They've _noticed_ all right," Joey muttered in annoyance. "And they ask. I've actually _told_ some people that I'm pregnant, but they just laugh and assume that all of my eating habits have finally caught up with me." He scowled. "Do I look fat, Seto?!"

Seto held his hands up quickly. "No, puppy; you look pregnant. And beautiful, if I might add."

The blond shot him a skeptical look before sighing and crossing his arms. "I'll let it slide this time; next time, I'll just think you're tryin' t' butter me up."

"What if I'm telling the truth while I'm buttering you up?" the older boy asked, raising an eyebrow. He chuckled as the blond stuck his tongue out at him and ran a hand through his hair. "Are we still visiting Mythaven today, puppy?"

"You bet your ass," Joey replied, rubbing his stomach absently as he moved toward the dresser. "Should I take a shower before or after?"

Seto sighed. "Judging by the fact that Kankana and the pups slobber all over you, you should probably wait until we get back home."

"Yeah… Seto, can I… can I talk t' Soumya alone?" the blond asked after a moment, blushing a little when the older boy turned to give him a skeptical frown. "I-it's nothin' important, I just wanna ask him somethin' private."

"…I don't see any reason why you couldn't…" the brunet answered slowly, perplexed, but decided not to question him; the day was going too well for him to ruin it by butting in when Joey clearly didn't want him to know something. "Fine. I could use the chance to try and apologize to Kaii for scaring him."

"It wasn't you—" Joey began, then sighed and looked down at his feet. Kaii had known that whatever the evil thing had been, it hadn't been his father. Why hadn't he figured it out?

Seto caught the blond's face in his hands and pulled him up into a kiss before he could dwell on it, sliding one of his hands up to gently pet his hair. "Mmn…"

The blond mewled helplessly as he was pulled into the older boy's arms and placed his hands on the brunet's chest. "Mm… Mn, Set'…" He jumped a little as the brunet gave his ass a squeeze, then mewled again, sliding his arms up around his neck. "Mm!"

Seto broke the kiss and let his lips drift over the blond's cheek. "I love you, Joey. I always will." He smiled a little as the younger boy trembled in his arms and nuzzled his neck lifting his hands to slowly rub the other boy's arms. "Mm, you're so soft and warm. I like holding you. I like touching you and watching you shiver and whimper. I like knowing that the hands I once used to hurt you are now being used to pleasure you…"

Joey gasped quietly as the brunet began kissing behind his ear and leaned against him weakly. "S-Seto…"

The older boy trailed his tongue across the shell of his ear, nibbling gently at it for a moment before he leaned back and offered him a sweet smile. "I just wanted to remind you that I love you and nothing will change that."

The blond blushed and bit his bottom lip as he turned his gaze away in embarrassment. "Seto…"

"You just seemed a little insecure for a moment," he whispered, then placed a slow, soft kiss on the younger boy's head. "Get dressed. We're going to be late."

Joey blushed a little more as the brunet turned and walked toward the dresser, placing his hands over his warm cheeks in embarrassment. Seto hadn't been that sweet to him in a while. So why now…?

"You're staring."

"Huh? Oh!" Flushing even further, he turned his head away quickly and busied himself with collecting the clothes strewn about the room from the night before to put them in the hamper. "Really, you'd think ya could make it t' the hamper! Do ya always hafta throw your clothes on the floor?"

"…That's what maids are for," Seto replied in confusion, then flinched when the blond shot him a dirty look. "What?"

"I hope you don't think I'll be pickin' up after ya at the new house, because we won't have any maids there, Seto."

The brunet nearly winced again. "…I will… _attempt_ to get my clothes in the hamper."

Joey narrowed his eyes further. "Attempt and succeed, please."

"I would love to. …I will. …I promise." This time, he did flinch again. "…Please stop looking at me like that."

.-.-.-.-.-.

Kankana's tail nearly wagged off her body as she nuzzled the blond's stomach. "Oooh, you're so cute! Look, you're so round, and pregnant, and—"

"Yeah, I know, ya did this last time," Joey exclaimed, shoving her face away. "Jeez, you're so embarrassing!"

"You're just jealous because _I've_ given birth already," she replied, lifting her nose in the air flippantly.

The blond frowned. "…No. Not at all."

"_**Mama! Papa!"**_ The exclamations were followed by a pleased squeal.

Seto turned his head sharply, eyes widening a little. "Kaii?"

"Oh. …He can say 'mama' and 'papa,' by the way," Joey explained sheepishly. "…I… found out that day that you… I'm sorry. I am _really_ sorry, Seto—" He mewled helplessly as the brunet cut him off with a quick kiss. "Mm!"

The older boy shot him a glare before turning back to the kit making grabby motions with his claws. "It was not your fault and I'm not saying it again." He smiled a little as he picked up the little dragon and nuzzled his neck lovingly. "Hey, Kaii. I missed you."

"_**Papaaaa!"**_ He let out a pleased purr.

Joey smiled a little, then turned and looked past Kankana into Den. "Hey, Kankana, I was wonderin' if I could talk t' Soumya. Is that okay?"

"Hmm, if you can find him." She frowned and tilted her head a little. "He left yesterday. He said he sensed something wrong in the forest and went to speak to his cousin. …I'm worried." She dipped her head and sighed, brows furrowing together in trepidation. "He hates going past the kodama. If he was willing to walk past them to visit his cousin, then… something must really be going on."

"Oh." Joey tapped his fingers together nervously, then whispered, "Could I see one of the hellhounds, then?"

Kankana narrowed her eyes, then sighed and turned her head away. "I suppose it's none of my business."

"…I would prefer if ya didn't know."

"Fine." She turned toward Den and began inside, roaring, "_ADHIP! THE GOLDEN ONE WANTS TO SPEAK TO YOU!_"

Seto turned toward him in confusion. "I thought you wanted to speak to Soumya."

"Well, I was gonna ask him something, but since he isn't here, I'm gonna ask one of the hellhounds," the blond replied, smiling. "There's something I gotta do real quick, so you can go and see Akai and the girls if ya want. I shouldn't take too long."

The Dragon Master narrowed his eyes at him then, and the kit in his arms quickly followed suit; if the blond wasn't so nervous, he may have even laughed at the sight. "…I don't like this," Seto stated bluntly, scowling. "In fact, I hate it. But I won't make you tell me. You'll tell me when you're ready, I suppose. …Just like you always do," he added quietly, then turned and began walking toward the dragons' den.

Kaii squealed in confusion and made grabby motions at his mother with his claws. _**"Mama!"**_

"Come on, Kaii; Mama has something he wants to do." Seto shot him one last, hurt look before he continued on, tightening his hold on the squirming kit in his arms.

Joey frowned as he watched them go, heaving a sad sigh; he hated to hide things from his mate, but he just couldn't imagine Seto being happy with his decision to speak with—

"You wanted to speak to me?" a low, gruff voice asked, making him jump in surprise and turn. He squeaked quietly in fear.

Adhip was nothing like he could have ever imagined for a male hellhound. His fur was jet black, but he had a long, rigid mane of red fur standing up from his neck that ran all the way down his spine. His long, feline-like tail was whipping around in annoyance, and the tuft at the end, which he'd just assumed was red fur, was actually aflame. His eyes, too, seemed to be on fire; they were a blinding sort of yellow, with no pupil whatsoever. And he was just a little bigger than Kankana.

"…" The hellhound eyed him for a moment before letting out a sigh, and the blond watched in fascination as he laid his mane flat against his fur, the fiery tuft was extinguished, and his eyes faded to a dull enough yellow that catlike, slitted pupils were visible. "I'm sorry. I was sleeping when you called; with pups to deal with, I rarely get a good night's sleep."

"Oh. I'm sorry I disturbed ya, then," Joey answered timidly. "Does that mean you're not interested in doin' me a favor then?"

Adhip tilted his head and turned to scrutinize him out of one eye. "…What sort of favor?"

The blond tapped his fingers together for a few moments, nibbling his bottom lip, before he quietly answered, "I need t' speak with Akuju."

The hound snarled, mane sticking up straight again. _"Why would you ever need to speak to him?!"_

"It's—it's just—it's very important!" the younger boy exclaimed, brows furrowing together in frustration. "I-I can't really explain it right now, but it's really important! I promise!"

Adhip's lip curled upward to expose his fangs; he was very displeased, to say the least. "When I was younger, the submissive knew its place. I can't imagine your _mate_ is entirely pleased with the idea." When the blond flinched, he huffed in annoyance. "I didn't think so. I hope he humps you like you deserve when we get back," he mumbled, laying his mane flat again. "Well, get on."

"You… Ya hope he… humps me like I deserve?" Joey asked in confusion, before scrambling onto his back in an effort to keep him from getting angry again.

"Ah. Your mate is the Dragon Master; he'll probably spank you instead." He glanced over his shoulder carelessly. "It's different for canines. While some will fight physically for dominance until the loser flashes his neck or belly in defeat, others will show their dominance in a more sexual manner. It doesn't necessarily mean sex; it just means the one on top doing the humping is the dominant one. However, since he's a dragon, he'll probably just spank you." Once the blond was settled on his back, he huffed again. "Hold onto my mane."

Joey did as he was told, blinking in surprise when he felt how stiff the hairs were, like a porcupine's quills. But, when flattened, it seemed to meld into the rest of his fur and became just as soft. "Wow, your mane is really hard."

"So I've been told," Adhip replied blandly. "You'll see fire for a few minutes; that's completely normal. We are, after all, going to Hell."

"Will it hurt the baby?" the blond asked quickly, protectively wrapping an arm over his stomach.

"Females do it all the time; the pups come out just fine."

Joey shivered as fire began shooting up in either side of him and closed his eyes quickly, clenching the hellhound's mane tightly in his fingers. "Nn!"

Adhip rolled his eyes but began moving through the flames slowly, paws making a hissing sound every time they met the ground. "You'll need to convince Fenrir to take you down to the lower pits. I can only go down to the first pit; my wife may have more clearance, but even she couldn't make it down to the pit Akuju is in."

The blond looked down at him in confusion, not noticing as the fire faded away to show a dungeon-like scene around them. "Why does your wife have more clearance?"

"Have you ever messed with a bitch? They're nasty—especially when children are involved."

"Oh." Joey nibbled his bottom lip anxiously and couldn't help a flinch as he realized the surroundings—damp, dim stone walls on either side with torches in metal brackets lighting the way. "Ah…"

Coming up to a large, metal gate tipped with black metal spires, the blond slid from the hellhound's back and nibbled his bottom lip anxiously as the canine walked up and raked his paws over the bars with a loud clanging noise. The gate slowly slid back into the walls with loud clanking sounds, and that was when Adhip turned back to him.

"This is as far as I go—and as far as you should go without an escort. Wait a few moments and either Sköll or Hati will be here, and you'll convince them that you really need to see Akuju—or they'll bring you back like a naughty pup and have your mate give you the spanking of a lifetime," he stated, then sighed loudly. "Or they'll eat you. Not that it's any skin off my nose…"

"Eat me?!" the blond exclaimed shrilly, then reached out as the hound burst into flame. "Wait, don't-! …Leave me…" He stared at the spot where he'd disappeared, then whimpered and wrapped his arms around his stomach. For some reason, he had a feeling that Seto would be more pissed if he was eaten than he would be by him getting seriously hurt. …Not that being eaten wouldn't be included in the same category as 'seriously hurt,' but—

"What? I was sort of in the middle of—Oh, you must be the Golden One!"

…That was the queerest voice he'd ever heard.

Turning slowly back toward the open hall in front of him, Joey blinked as he found a dark red wolf smiling at him brightly. He sounded young, as if only in his teens, and his dark green eyes glinted with the playfulness of a pup. So either he wasn't as ancient as everyone had been led to believe, or he was a flaming queen.

"Wow, you're really cute—I thought Dad was joking when he said you were prettier than your grandmother, since he usually never compliments anyone, but—hey, you're pregnant, I didn't know that! Can I touch your tummy?"

Joey blinked again as the large wolf's damp nose pressed against his shirt, then raised an eyebrow. "…You're… not exactly what I expected."

"What? No, I guess I'm not what anyone expected," the wolf replied, shrugging carelessly. "Especially not my dad—he's sort of ashamed of me, if you know what I mean. Then again, in my opinion, he should have realized I was gay when I started running after the horses drawing the moon's chariot. Have you _seen_ that guy? I mean, sure, he's human and all, but he's the sexiest human I've ever seen. Not that he can't shape-shift because I'm sure he can—you let me know when I'm rambling, okay?" he ordered, lying down in front of him.

"Anyway, if you've never seen him before, he's got the prettiest long white hair and it's got moon diamonds in it, so not only is he gorgeous but he's got sparkly things in his hair! I like sparkly things; I collect them. He threw me a bone once, but it was one of those boring kinds, the ones you chew on—not that I have anything against chewing on bones—but I want one of his sparklies—"

"Um… Not to interrupt, but… Can I talk to Fenrir?" Joey asked timidly; he didn't, after all, want to be eaten.

The wolf blinked at him in surprise, then smiled brightly again. "If that's what you want, I can get him for you." Turning his head, he roared, _**"DAD, THE GOLDEN ONE IS HERE TO SEE YOU!"**_

The blond winced and covered his ears. "So loud!"

"Ah, sorry, sometimes I forget that tiny people can be hurt by my shouts. Hope I didn't hurt your pup," the wolf replied, frowning in concern as he pressed his nose to the blond's belly again.

"Which one _are_ you, anyway?" Joey asked after a moment, carefully shoving his cold nose away.

The wolf sat up and smiled again. "I'm Hati. Thanks for asking—usually people don't care! They don't believe in us very much anymore, so—"

"Hati, you're babbling," Fenrir stated dryly, stepping over his pup carefully. "Joseph, I've been expecting you. I suppose you're here to speak with Akuju."

Hati's cheerful expression went from hurt, to sad, to angry in the span of only a few seconds before he heaved himself to his feet and brushed past the blond, nearly knocking him over. "Excuse me."

Joey turned to look after him in concern. "Are you okay, Hati?"

"…I'll be fine," he muttered, before continuing on his way.

"…Okay…" Once the canine had stalked out of sight, Joey turned to look up at the older wolf, which looked slightly grumpy and a little put out. "…Somethin' wrong?"

Fenrir huffed. "Hati has been very short with me since I discovered the real reason he'd been chasing the moon for centuries. I suppose I didn't react very well, but I'm willing to… _adjust._ As long as he's hell-bent on remaining homosexual."

"…You don't _remain_ homosexual," the blond deadpanned. "You either _are_ or you're _not._"

"…Whatever. Well, come if you want to speak Akuju then," he sighed, then turned and began walking. "Come along, Golden One."

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Well, well, well. And I thought my day couldn't get any worse. I thought I got a half an hour before you came back and fried me."

Joey peered into the small cell and frowned as he found the man he wanted to speak to lying on a small cot in the corner of the dim cell. He looked entirely unconcerned; in fact, he looked a little bitter.

"You do," Fenrir replied, using a paw to force the barred door open. "However, you will be spending that half of an hour answering the Golden One's questions."

The blond yipped as he was shoved inside and turned quickly as he heard the door creak back into place. "F-Fenrir!"

"You have twenty minutes; use them well," the wolf ordered, narrowing his eyes, before he began to walk away.

Joey squeaked in the back of his throat and turned to peek over his shoulder at the other man, frowning a little in confusion when he realized the other man hadn't made a move toward him. "…A-Akuju?"

Akuju glanced at him carelessly, letting his eyes travel up and down his body in a careless manner. "Well, I see the Dragon Master has gotten you pregnant. You're pretty when you're pregnant; who'd have guessed?" He looked back up at the ceiling. "Probably be a cute kid. What do you want, anyway?"

The blond blinked in confusion, frowning. He'd expected more of a fight, or to be attacked, but not this. "…I… wanted t' ask ya some questions."

The other man snorted and waved a hand carelessly. "Ask away; I'm not going anywhere."

"Um… Okay…" Joey rested his hands on his stomach thoughtfully; what did he want to ask first?

Akuju glanced at him for a few moments, then sighed and heaved himself to his feet. "You can sit down. I'll stand. I wouldn't want anything to happen to your baby—"

"Let's start with that!" the blond exclaimed, holding his stomach protectively. "Ya tried t' hurt me—tried t' rape me—and now you're actin' all concerned and stuff about my baby when ya scarred Kaii's little body with _your_ initial—"

"Yes, and I enjoyed it then. …I couldn't _not_ like it. With the curse running through my body, I didn't care who or what I hurt, as long as there was some sort of sadistic pleasure in it for me." Akuju lifted his red eyes angrily. "I was cursed a long time ago, and I thought I'd forgotten what regret or remorse felt like until you zapped me with your powers. Then I was filled with so much of it that it was a relief when Fenrir came and ripped me in half. It was a blessing when you forced the curse out of me, and I'm glad for that, and I'm sorry I hurt you and your baby, but I wouldn't do anything differently. The curse has been expelled from me and I want nothing more than that."

Joey frowned. "Your curse, how is it surviving on its own? How did it attack Seto, and how did it just suddenly leave him?"

"Your world is becoming devoid of magic, and as it _is_ magic, it needs magic to survive. It depended on you running here, and your mate chasing you. It survives on its own because that's how the creator of the curse made it; it's its own separate entity from the person it possesses. It can only be destroyed through magic more powerful, but I can't imagine what can be more powerful than Dark magic. …Gods know what other poor creature it's preying upon now," he muttered, turning his gaze back on the ground.

The blond nibbled on his bottom lip thoughtfully, then gasped in horror. "Soumya—Kankana said something's wrong with the forest—_FENRIR! FENRIR, I NEED TO GO! FENRIIIIIIIIIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!_"


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Notes: Is it just me, or was Akuju extremely likeable in the last chapter? I mean, if you forget that he tried to rape Joey multiple times, tried to kill Seto, brought Gozaburo back to life, tortured Kaii, and was all around an evil guy. …Forget I said anything.

OMG YOU'RE ALL GONNA KILL ME. D**:**

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Joey frowned. "Your curse, how is it surviving on its own? How did it attack Seto, and how did it just suddenly leave him?"_

"_Your world is becoming devoid of magic, and as it is magic, it needs magic to survive. It depended on you running here, and your mate chasing you. It survives on its own because that's how the creator of the curse made it; it's its own separate entity from the person it possesses. It can only be destroyed through magic more powerful, but I can't imagine what can be more powerful than Dark magic. …Gods know what other poor creature it's preying upon now," he muttered, turning his gaze back on the ground._

_The blond nibbled on his bottom lip thoughtfully, then gasped in horror. "Soumya—Kankana said something's wrong with the forest—__**FENRIR! FENRIR, I NEED TO GO! FENRIIIIIIIIIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!**__"_

Chapter 15

Seto frowned. He could have sworn he'd heard someone call his name. Leaving his napping kit among the pile of other sleeping dragons (it was a collective naptime; Akai was the only one awake, keeping a protective eye on everyone else), he moved to the opening of the large cave.

The only appreciation he got for this, however, was for his ever-loving mate to tackle him to the ground. "Ow-! …You're too heavy, puppy…"

"Never mind how heavy I am! Seto, we have a big problem!" Joey exclaimed, pounding on his shoulders frantically. "Soumya's sensed something wrong in the forest, but Akuju's stupid curse is in there, and he's gonna get possessed-!"

Seto sighed and caught his wrists. "What the hell are you talking about, Joey?"

"The _thingy_ that made ya hurt me!" the blond shouted angrily. "It's goin' after someone else and Soumya might get hurt!"

"I can sense him not too far away—Okay, fine," he sighed in acquiescence, raising his hands in defeat when the younger boy began to open his mouth again. "We'll go and look for him a little bit. Okay?"

Joey nodded quickly, a small smile forming on his lips as he stood. He shot a short look at Akai. "We'll be right back, 'kay?"

Akai eyed him skeptically before nodding slowly. _**"I'm not going anywhere."**_

Seto got to his feet as well and began outside. "I don't see why you have to go out and look for—Look, there he is right there."

The blond looked toward the forest quickly, smiling in relief when he saw that the kirin was, indeed, trotting out of the tree line as he began toward him. "Soumya! I'm so glad you're back, I—" He stopped when he realized something wasn't right.

Soumya's eyes were green. Well, they were green as long as he wasn't pissed, in which case they turned bright red. A bright red like they were now, angry and turned on him.

Joey took a step back in confusion. "…Soumya…?"

"Soumya! I've been looking for you!" Kankana scowled and trotted toward him angrily. "Look, you can't just take off and come back with only the explanation of 'I need to see my cousin!'" Her hackles bristled a bit before she forced herself to calm down. "Joey wanted to talk to you, too! And the pups are whining 'Daddy' this and 'Daddy' that! It's like they love you more than they love me!" She huffed. "And another thing—"

Her words were cut off by the kirin grabbing her scruff between his teeth and shaking her roughly. She whined as his surprisingly sharp teeth broke her skin and tried to curl up to show her submission, but she was too heavy and he wasn't holding her high enough off the ground to do so properly. She yelped as the kirin suddenly turned his head and threw her to the side, whimpering as she thumped against a tree and fell to the ground in a pathetic heap.

Seto took one look at the pitiful form of the inugami before he quickly thrust the blond behind him. "Stay behind me, Joey."

Joey didn't need to be told twice, peeking over his shoulder anxiously as the kirin stamped his front hoof and snorted out some smoke. "Setoooo…"

"Soumya, I don't know what the _hell_ you're so pissed about—" the brunet began, only to stop and take a step back as the dragon-deer dipped his head to point his sharp horn at them. "Oh shit."

The blond gasped and hid his face in the older boy's back as he slipped his arms around his waist tightly. "Seto-!"

Then there was a roar, and a snarl, and a thick black tail swung through the air and slapped the charging kirin away. Soumya let out an angry roar as he slammed into a tree and lifted his head furiously, fire licking at his lips as he stumbled back to his feet.

Akai roared again and slammed his tail on the ground threateningly, causing a small, tail-shaped indent. Soumya snarled and loosed a plume of fire at him before he charged again. The dragon was momentarily blinded, but he felt the sharp horn strike his scales as he slid in front of the two teens staring in shock. Wrapping his tail around the kirin, he roared again and slammed him onto the ground once, twice, before he threw him into another tree.

Soumya hit the tree with a dull thud and fell to the ground in a motionless heap. He didn't stir once he hit the ground.

Kankana sniffled from her place at the base of the tree she'd hit, where she'd stayed for fear her mate would show his dominance again, then began crawling toward him. "Soumya? …Soumya?"

Joey bit his bottom lip, then began toward the kirin as well. Seto was only a step behind. "…Soumya…"

Kankana snuffled his side gently, then drifted her nose up to his mane. "S-Soumya?" She leaned back in confusion, then gasped quietly as she saw the kirin's eyes were open, green, and covered with a glazed film. "S-Soumya! Y-you can't be—" She sobbed quietly as she saw the blood dripping out of his open mouth down his skull from his ears, then laid her head across his awkwardly twisted back. "We just had puppies! We were so happy!"

Joey's breath caught in his throat. The curse had claimed someone's _life._ Someone he _cared_ about! He turned and hid his face in the brunet's chest quickly, bawling loudly. "Oh, _God!_ Seto!"

Seto wrapped his arms around the blond quickly and began petting his hair, whispering to him comfortingly, but he knew there was nothing he could say to make the situation better, for him _or_ Kankana. Kankana had just watched her mate get _killed,_ for God's sake! And Joey had just seen the kirin get killed because it was charging at _him!_

The brunet looked over his shoulder, frowning, and his brows furrowed together when he saw the critical gaze on Akai's face. The dragon caught him looking at him and huffed, then turned to stalk back into his den.

He seemed terribly unaffected for having just killed a close friend of his, Seto noticed. Especially for someone who had allowed the kirin to baby-sit his kits.

The franks came pouring out of the forest then, looking alarmed and upset. Then, they caught sight of the fallen kirin, and hundreds of green eyes filled with tears. Then came the wailing of dozens of franks.

Seto sighed; he'd never heard anything so pitiful as the franks wailing, the inugami sobbing, and his mate bawling into his chest.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Mokuba knew something was wrong as soon as he entered the house. When he walked into the kitchen, he found out why.

Joey was sitting at the table and staring into a cup of coffee unseeingly, his head held in one hand. His eyes were filled with unshed tears, red and swollen from crying earlier. Seto was also sitting at the table, his own cup of coffee untouched as he rested his chin on his clasped hands. He didn't look as sad as Joey did, but he certainly looked shaken.

After a few awkward moments, the younger teen quietly asked, "Seto? What's wrong?"

"…We've lost Soumya," the brunet answered softly. "He charged at Joey and me, so Akai killed him."

"Oh. …I'm sorry."

Mokuba had been careful to avoid Mythaven. He was having trouble already in school (it wasn't _his_ fault his homework was boring!), and he didn't want to complicate anything by going to Mythaven. However, his brother and Joey talked about it often enough to know who Soumya and Akai were, and how much Seto and Joey cared about them.

"…Do you want me to go stay with someone else tonight then? You guys probably have some… things you wanna talk about." He glanced at his older brother, who nodded slowly. He took one last look at Joey before he hesitantly made his way over to him and pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry, Joey."

"Oh, Mokuba…" Joey turned and hugged him back gently, unable to help a smile at the younger boy's concern. "Thanks. Have fun at your friend's house, okay?"

"Okay," Mokuba answered quietly, giving him an extra squeeze before he pulled away.

The blond watched him go, then turned back to Seto, tears filling his eyes anew as he remembered how hard it had been to tear Kankana away from the broken body of her mate. She'd only moved once they'd pleaded with her to check on her pups. Once they'd been fed and put back to their naps, however, she'd come out to sit by Soumya's body again, not crying, but… staring. As if she was waiting for him to come back, even though she knew it would never happen.

She hadn't spoken to Akai, and had only muttered a few terse words to Kisara when she'd asked what had happened. Both the dragon and Joey had been surprised by the amount of bitter hatred in her voice.

But Akai had killed her mate. She hadn't even been able to ask why he'd been so pissed.

Seto stood and pulled the blond into his arms as he began to whimper, dipping his head to gently nuzzle his neck. "Calm down, puppy. You're going to tire yourself out; the baby doesn't need you to be fatigued."

"B-but Soumya _died!_" Joey exclaimed, looking up at him sadly. "A-and Kankana—Kankana didn't even get t' say goodbye-!"

The brunet cut him off with a soft kiss, massaging his scalp as he nibbled lightly on his bottom lip. Breaking the kiss, he leaned his forehead against the younger boy's and sighed. "I know that's not the way it should have happened—Kankana and Soumya should have died together centuries from now—but there's nothing either of us can do now. Please calm down."

"Seto, make love to me," the blond whispered, turning his gaze away bashfully.

Seto blinked. "…I'm sorry. What does that have to do with Soumya-?"

"Kankana mentioned that she wished she'd given Soumya the amount of sex he wanted—maybe then he wouldn't have been so uptight t'day, 'nd he wouldn't have gotten so pissed." He peered up at the brunet from beneath his lashes and blushed. "…I don't wanna feel that way if something ever happened t' ya."

"…That is a _horrible_ reason to have sex," the older boy stated bluntly, then sighed and hugged him again. "Oh, puppy. You give me all of the sex I need. Besides, I doubt sex had anything to do with what was on Soumya's mind." He began stroking the blond's hair again and closed his eyes. "You silly puppy. We'll have sex tonight if you're still in the mood. I have some work I want to do. Would you mind if I did that?"

"Can I stay with ya?" Joey asked quietly, frowning. "Sit on your lap?"

Seto stared at him for a moment before realizing the blond just wanted to be close to him. Nodding a little, he sighed and nuzzled his cheek shortly. "Yeah. Come on; you can look at the designs of the academy with me."

Joey perked up a bit at that, though he still showed some melancholy. "Ya mean that duelin' academy? I thought ya built it already."

"Well, it's built, but it's not decorated; it's basically just a skeleton. Maybe you can help me with that."

"OHMYGOD! SETO!"

At that, the brunet immediately sprinted up the stairs, leaving the younger teen to come up after him quickly but at a still calmer pace; baby was getting too big to be sprinting everywhere.

Seto burst into his brother's bathroom quickly. "Mokuba, what-! …Oh. My. _God._"

Joey huffed as he came up behind him. "You've both said that! What's wrong? Is everything okay?" He blinked as he heard a small squeak, then peeked over the brunet's shoulder. He couldn't help a laugh. "Oh, Joy!"

The little yellow dragon had been showering in Mokuba's sink; he was even wearing a tiny pink shower cap on his head.

Leave it to Joy to save the gloomy day.

Joy blinked at each of them respectively before letting out an offended huff. Then, rolling himself up in a washcloth, he used his mouth to hold it up as he flew out of the bathroom. _"Hmph!"_

"…Did Joy just take a shower in my sink?" Mokuba asked after a moment, eye twitching. "I'll never look at it the same way again."

"No, I don't think ya—Oh my God, Seto!" Joey covered his mouth. "Codi and Joy don't know! Joy and Soumya were good friends!" He looked up at the brunet as tears filled his eyes again. "I can't do it, Seto, I just—I can't—"

Seto sighed and placed his hands on the blond's shoulders. "I'll tell them, Joey. You go lie down in my office, okay? I moved the comfy couch in there for you. …This may take a while," he added, frowning, as he began toward their own bathroom. "Joy may be able to stay strong, but I bet you a hundred dollars that Codi bursts into tears."

Joey and Mokuba watched him go before the younger boy looked up at him in confusion. "Was he using a bubblegum wrapper as a shower cap _[1]_?"

Despite his want to cry, the blond had to laugh instead. Joy was much too quirky not to laugh at.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto sighed tiredly as he stepped into his office and rubbed the back of his head. He'd been wrong; both Codi _and_ Joy had burst into tears, and he'd had to comfort them. …A lot.

He'd almost cried himself when he realized that he probably wouldn't have met either quirky dragon without Soumya's help, though.

The brunet sighed and leaned in the doorway as he saw his puppy sitting in his chair, eying the blueprints of the new academy as he twirled around. Smiling a little as he made his way over to his oblivious mate, the older boy paused before reaching out and grabbing the back of his chair, causing it to come to a sudden stop.

Joey let out a cry of alarm as the chair stopped moving and dropped the blueprints, grabbing onto the armrests quickly. "Oh my G—_Seto!_"

Seto smiled and grabbed the blueprints to place them back on the desk. "You're so silly, puppy, just spinning around in my chair."

The blond blushed in embarrassment and bit his bottom lip as he glanced away. "…W-well, I got a little bored, so I just… Primary colors!"

"…Huh?" The older boy's brows furrowed together in confusion. "Primary colors for what?"

"Dorms!" Joey squeaked quickly. "We should use primary colors for the dorms!"

Seto frowned. He wanted to tease him a little longer. However, the subject had been successfully changed, so he sighed and nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose that would be the most logical color choice."

"Yeah, so—H-hey, Seto, what are ya—" The blond let out a disgruntled squeak as the older boy lifted him out of his chair, but he found he couldn't complain when the brunet sat down and placed him on his lap like he'd asked. Sighing, he rested his head on his mate's shoulder and let his eyes flutter shut. "I'm tired, Seto."

"So take a nap," Seto replied, reaching up to pat his head gently as he grabbed a pen and a pad of paper. "You need it after all of the crying you've done today."

Joey frowned. "Are you sayin' I'm a cry baby?"

"I'm saying that your hormones have gotten the best of you today," the brunet explained, sighing. "Why do you have to make it into an insult?"

"…I guess you're right," the younger boy replied quietly, then turned to face him more and slid his arms around his waist. "I'll take a nap." He paused, then placed a few soft kisses against the brunet's neck, smiling a little when a pleased, rumbling purr escaped his throat. "I love you."

Seto turned his head to catch his lips in a soft kiss before whispering, "I love you too, puppy. Take a nap." He let his eyes drift closed as he felt the blond's lips brush against his throat and couldn't help a smile as the butterfly kisses became softer and softer until the younger boy fell asleep, his face leaning into his neck. "I love you so much, puppy."

As he jotted down thoughts and ideas beneath the line 'primary colors,' he frowned as he realized just what was wrong about Soumya's death—besides just his dying at all.

Soumya had made him read a book all about Dragon Masters and dragons. The book had said that dragons weren't easily possessed. Soumya was part dragon, so that fact should have extended to him, too. However, Joey had insisted that Soumya would be possessed—or something along those lines. How had Soumya been taken advantage of like that?

How did Akai kill him without batting an eyelash?

…And how had Joey known about it?

Seto frowned. He'd thought they'd been making progress. But then… then Joey had just run off with some hellhound without even telling him why. So apparently they hadn't made as much progress as he'd thought.

Lifting his hand to gently stroke the blond's hair, he sighed and leaned back in his chair in exhaustion. His puppy really had a way of sucking all of the energy out of him—even when it wasn't physical.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey moaned as he felt warm breath against his neck and let his eyes flutter open slowly in confusion. "S'to…?"

"Where did you go?" Seto asked quietly, brushing his lips behind the blond's ear. "When you were talking to that hellhound. Where did you go with it?"

"Nn… Went… t' see… Mm, that feels nice…" The younger boy squirmed a little and mewled.

The brunet licked his earlobe slowly before nibbling on it; as long as he kept the younger boy stuck between slumber and awareness, he knew he could get all of the answers he needed. "You went to see who?"

"Nn…" Joey squirmed again and whimpered. "Went t' see Ak—ah! S-Set'!" He tossed his head back as the brunet moved his mouth to his throat. "Nyo!"

"Went to see…?"

"Aku-_ju!_" The blond gasped as he felt the older boy's teeth scrape over his skin. "Seto!"

Seto leaned back immediately, brows furrowing together in disbelief. "…Akuju? You went to see Akuju?"

Joey frowned at the instant retreat and looked up at him in confusion. "…Seto…?"

"…You went to see Akuju with our _baby_ inside you?!" the brunet snarled angrily. "In _Hell?!_"

The blond shrank away from him and ducked his head only to whimper as his mate grabbed his chin and forced their eye contact. "Nn!"

"Well? Is that what you're telling me?!" Seto asked again, eyes beginning to glow. "You risked our _baby_—"

"I just wanted t' know about the curse Akuju mentioned-!" Joey began helplessly, then let out a sob. "I did it again, didn't I? Made ya mad—I don't care how many times ya say it, Seto-! I'm a horrible mate!"

The brunet let out an angry rumble and lifted him enough to give him a quick, hard spank. "Stop wallowing in your self-pity and tell me why you'd do something as foolish as go see Akuju!"

"Nn!" The younger boy mewled in complaint but didn't struggle. "Wanted t' learn 'bout that thing that attacked ya-! Wanted t' learn why it survived on its own and stuff-! Never meant t' hurt your feelin's-!" He yipped as he was spanked again and closed his eyes tightly; Adhip had said he hoped he got a spanking. "Please don't spank me anymore!"

Seto gave him one last, hard spank before pulling the blond into a tight hug. "Oh, you _stupid_ puppy. You just won't be happy until you've done everything to piss me off!"

Joey whimpered and shifted his hips in case he was given another spank, then sobbed quietly as the brunet yanked him into a bruising kiss. "Nyu!"

The brunet thrust his tongue into the younger boy's mouth and slid his hand around to cup his rear, giving the cheek beneath his hand a squeeze. When his mate only whimpered and allowed it, refusing to kiss him back, he broke the kiss and sighed in frustration. "Fuck. I just can't win with you, puppy. I try and I try to please you, but you do nothing to return the favor; everything you've done has only been to benefit yourself."

Joey squeaked as the older boy stood and tossed him back onto his chair, then looked up at him in confusion. "Seto-?"

"…I'm tired. I'm going to bed," Seto stated after a moment, not turning to look at him. "…Perhaps you should go to your old room." He sighed as he heard the blond let out a hurt sob, then continued out of the office. He wanted to go hug his mate and apologize for everything he'd said, but he was tired of Joey going off and doing things without even telling him. And he couldn't deny that everything he'd said had been true.

Joey lifted a hand to bite his thumb in an attempt to stifle his sobs. He was a horrible, horrible mate. Why had he ever thought he could be happy—could make someone else happy? He was damaged goods; he had come from a broken home and was causing this perfectly happy family to break as well. Mokuba had been so angry he wouldn't even talk to his brother for days, and he couldn't remember that ever happening before he'd come to live with them.

After the baby was born, would Seto take it and kick him out of the house? …Would they even move to a new house, now? And if Seto took the baby, he wouldn't be able to fight for him; the brunet had enough resources that any attempt could backfire and _he_ could end up paying child support.

Now that he thought about it, what hope did he have of being a good mother? It's not like he'd had a good example. How would he even know what to do? How would he know how to take care of baby properly?

…How would he have a baby girl if Seto wanted nothing to do with him?

Joey sniffed and hurriedly dried his eyes. He had to fix this. His mate was angry with him; he had to at least _try_ to apologize!

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto sighed as he heard his door creak open. He'd known that Joey wouldn't go to a separate room; he was too emotionally needy to do so. That wouldn't stop him, however, from 'sneaking' into bed with him after he'd 'fallen asleep' and 'sneaking' back out before he 'woke up.' He was sorry he'd been so harsh with him earlier, but damn it, sometimes Joey just didn't understand things unless they came up and slapped him in the face!

He slowed his breathing as he felt the blond wriggling under the blankets toward him and relaxed his body, despite how much he wanted to turn and hug him and whisper that he was very sorry for being so blunt with him and making him cry. He couldn't help a frown when the blond placed a hand on his arm to lean over him and brush a kiss over his temple.

"…'m sorry…" Joey whispered, tears forming anew. "I'll try t' be a better mate, I promise. Don't get rid o' me, 'kay?" He hurriedly forced the tears back and snuggled up against the brunet's back. "…'m sorry…"

Seto had stiffened the moment he felt a warm drop of liquid hit his face, but when he heard the blond ask him not to 'get rid of him,' he felt his heart break to pieces. His puppy felt so insecure that he thought he'd get rid of him. He may have been _angry,_ but he'd never get rid of him!

Turning over to face his lover, he pulled him into his arms. "I'd never get rid of you, puppy. I just hate when you don't discuss things with me before you do them."

"…If I'd told ya, you wouldn't lemme go," Joey whispered, trembling a little. "I needed t' know. Ya wouldn't've lemme go and I needed t' know. 'm sorry."

Seto sighed; he knew Joey was right. "It's okay, puppy. I'm sorry I snapped at you." He paused, then dipped his head to brush their lips together. "I didn't mean to make you think I'd kick you out. I'd never get rid of you; I need you too much."

"…I know," the blond answered quietly, and he did. He'd learned that sires didn't function well without their dames—and Seto had the hospital bill to prove it. That didn't stop him from wondering, though, how Seto put up with him sometimes.

"Go to sleep, puppy. We still have to figure out what we're doing about that… thing in Mythaven." Seto sighed again. He'd thought everything had ended with Akuju.

He should just go in and kick Akuju's ass for causing all of these problems. And then find the back snake thing and raze it completely. …And find some way of kicking Akai's ass for killing Soumya—yes, for their protection, but for some reason, he felt something was off. Soumya had looked distracted. He wanted to know why.

* * *

[1] You shouldn't be asking why Joy was in Mokuba's bathroom! You should be asking why Joy and Codi have their strange obsession with bathrooms in the first place! On second thought, I don't know; don't ask. **:/** Psh. Anyway, yes, it's a bubblegum wrapper. They usually have a wax coating on the inside so the gum doesn't stick to it, and since wax repels water, it would make the perfect shower cap for a tiny dragon, amirite?!

P.S.: YES, I CRIED WHEN SOUMYA DIED. DON'T THINK I'M HEARTLESS. As lame as his death scene was, I was very sad to see him go.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's Note: I KNOW I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON I DIDN'T ANSWER YOUR REVIEWS!!!! D**:** Enjoy an extra long chapter instead. Another couple of OCs and a stunning turn of events on the way!

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

"…_I know," the blond answered quietly, and he did. He'd learned that sires didn't function well without their dames—and Seto had the hospital bill to prove it. That didn't stop him from wondering, though, how Seto put up with him sometimes._

"_Go to sleep, puppy. We still have to figure out what we're doing about that… thing in Mythaven." Seto sighed again. He'd thought everything had ended with Akuju._

_He should just go in and kick Akuju's ass for causing all of these problems. And then find the back snake thing and raze it completely. …And find some way of kicking Akai's ass for killing Soumya—yes, for their protection, but for some reason, he felt something was off. Soumya had looked distracted. He wanted to know why._

Chapter 16

"Ow! …Someone out there has something against me…"

Joey moaned quietly in complaint and snuggled closer to his mate's chest, then frowned in confusion; that hadn't been Seto's voice, had it? Opening his eyes slowly in confusion, he glanced down at the arm around his waist, then looked over his shoulder at the sleeping Dragon Master. "…Seto?"

Seto grunted quietly and tightened his grip on him, mumbling about something that made Joey blush brightly and squeak. "Mm…"

Well, it hadn't been him. Hearing a quiet growl, the blond frowned and wriggled as far from the older boy as he allowed and peeked over the edge of the bed. What he saw would have made a normal person scream, but he figured that since he had a dragon that took showers in other people's sinks in his bathroom and a Dragon Master purring quietly behind him, he could handle anything.

"Soumya?"

"Help me up!" the tiny kirin exclaimed angrily. "You humans and your beds up off the floor! Honestly!"

Joey blinked at him for a few moments, then jerked his arm back to elbow his mate in the ribs. …Hard.

"UNGH! Oh, fuck, what the—" Seto gasped, then sat up and scowled at his mate. "What the _hell_—"

Fortunately, the sudden injury had made him let go, so the blond was free to lean over the remaining amount he needed to be able to grasp the kirin around the middle and lift him onto the bed. He couldn't help an ecstatic smile though. Soumya was alive! …And adorably tiny!

"Wipe that stupid smile off your face. Do you think this is funny? Well?!" Soumya exclaimed, bristling a little.

"…You're the size of a rat. How is that _not_ funny?" Seto asked after a moment, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just so happy you're still alive!" Joey cut in, before the kirin could go off on how it was so _not_ funny and Seto was lucky he didn't bite off his— "We thought ya were dead!"

The dragon-deer huffed. "I was dead, you fool! …Kirins just have regenerative powers." He pawed the blankets idly as he sat down, then glanced up at them through his mane. "…How did Kankana take it?"

"She cried her heart out," Seto replied. "Probably still is, while the puppies are sleeping."

Despite feeling guilty that his mate was crying over him, Soumya couldn't help but feel a little happy that she missed him. It was hard to tell she cared sometimes. "…I see. Well, I—"

"_Seem-yee!"_

The two humans blinked as a yellow flash passed them to bash into the miniature kirin, knocking them both back to the floor. "…I think it's Joy."

"No, it's definitely Codi."

"What the hell are you—I was in the middle of a—_ARGH!_" the kirin roared, then huffed as the tiny yellow dragon somehow wrapped itself around him and hugged him. "…Hello, Codi."

"Booyah!" Joey exclaimed, punching the air. "I win!"

Seto raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure?"

"_ARGH!_"

A second yellow flash had gone down to bash into them as well. That one was definitely Joy.

"Soumya, why did you charge at me?" Joey asked, suddenly frowning in concern. He didn't want Soumya to still be mad at him.

Soumya snorted and asked, "Who said I was charging at you?"

"…You were… charging at me then?" Seto frowned. "What did I do to you?"

"I wasn't charging at you, either! I was charging at the dragon behind you!" he exclaimed. "I had faith in your ability to jump out of the way!"

Joey blinked for a few moments, then tilted his head. "Why would you charge at Akai?"

"He sent something into the forest," Soumya explained, trying to wriggle out of the tiny dragons' grasps. "To get it out of his cave, yes, but he sent it in nonetheless. It tried to take advantage of the franks."

The blond gasped. "Frankie!"

"Tlipo had more up his sleeve than his scream," the kirin added quickly. "…Please, do you think he can take on goats twice his size with just that?" He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Actually, it was pretty funny, watching that black snake squirm around everywhere. Once the franks knew it was evil, they kept trying to eat it." Then his face turned menacing in an evil grin. "Frankie was the one that got it."

"Wait! So she ate it?! What if it tries to take her over from the inside?!" Joey gasped, horrified.

Soumya frowned at him. "Are you serious? The franks are ignorant, not completely _stupid._ As hard as it is to possess a dragon, it's impossible for a frank. They're not mythical beings. They're not even magical. They are figments of an imagination made real."

"Oh. Okay." The blond smiled in relief. "That's good."

"…However, we have only so long before the snake is digested and set free again," the kirin added. "By then, we have to find some way of stopping it."

"Oh. …Well… maybe Akuju could—"

"Abso-fuckin'-_lutely_ not," Seto cut in sharply. "I'll spank you again—"

Joey frowned. "Well why don't you go?"

"And have you—what?" The brunet blinked at him in surprise, then frowned thoughtfully. "…I suppose that would be better than the alternative, wouldn't it? …I don't want to talk to him." He sighed when the younger boy looked up at him and jutted his bottom lip out. "I will. I won't like it, but I will. Okay?"

Joey smiled and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before he looked back at Soumya. "I bet ya wanna go home now, huh?"

"Are you kidding? Why would I go home like this?!" Soumya cried, appalled. "I have to wait at least a week to get back to my normal size!"

"Good. Then you can go look at houses with Mokuba and Joey." Seto sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I have to go get some things from work, and I'm bound to be side-tracked. Then you want me to go see _Akuju—_"

"But, I wanna go with you." The blond raised his hand in a placatory manner when the older boy shot him a dirty look. "I don't wanna see Akuju, I wanna see Hati! He's one of Fenrir's kids!?"

"…Fine. We'll go in the evening. Until then, you and Mokuba can go look at houses and Soumya can go with you so that Codi and Joy don't smother him to death with their love."

Joey blinked at the brunet for a few moments, then couldn't help a giggle. "Only you can say that with a straight face, Seto!"

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Why do you have to _move,_ anyway? What was wrong with your old house? I'm tired; can we rest? This is boring."

Despite his happiness at the kirin being alive, he wanted to _kill him himself._ "Soumya. Shut up. I swear, I will _throw you._"

Soumya looked up at him in surprise, then hurriedly ducked back into the satchel the blond had brought him in. "I shall take a nap."

"Yeah, you better take a nap," the blond mumbled, scowling, as he glared at the satchel.

Mokuba blinked for a moment before looking up at him and frowning. "He's kind of grumpy, isn't he?"

"He's always grumpy," Joey grumbled, then came to a stop. "Oh. What about this one?"

The younger boy turned and looked up at the house in question, frowning thoughtfully. "The yard isn't very big. Then again, less grass to have to mow. It could use a paint job, too, I guess…"

"Would you like to see the inside?"

The two boys squealed and turned sharply. "Ah!"

The woman blinked at them innocently, her large, violet eyes strangely reminiscent of Yugi's. However, her hair was raven black and pinned back in a ponytail, and there were no spiky yellow bangs or fuchsia trim, so it was safe to say she wasn't directly related to him, if at all. And she was about Joey's height, much taller than Yugi or anyone in his family.

She frowned. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I just saw you looking at the house. The old lady left the key with me because she didn't trust her realtor. She was sort of eccentric. May I touch your tummy?"

Joey squawked in surprise and took a step back. "…Ya know I'm a guy, right?"

"You know I'm a witch, right?" she replied, raising an eyebrow, then smiled brightly. "Anyway! It's nice to see the Golden One out and about! We never hear anything about you anymore!"

Mokuba stepped up beside him and eyed her warily. "Who is 'we?'"

"Well me and my brother of course," she stated, placing her hands on her hips and frowning. "Who else would I be talking about? Sillies."

Joey smiled a little. "Oh? And does that make your brother a wizard?"

"Psh." She narrowed her eyes. "Don't even talk about those. My brother is a widch. No 'T.'"

"Why no 'T?'" Mokuba asked, blinking in confusion.

"Because some smart ass mentioned that the lowercase T looks sort of like the female symbol," she explained, rolling her eyes. "The 'D' looks like the sign for male. I don't really get it, because they're pronounced the same, but I try not to delve into the minds of men. So! Do you want to see the inside of the house?"

"…Okay, why not?" Joey sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "This is the last one before we go home. What did you say your name was?"

"It's Lita. Now, there are three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a family room, a dining room, a kitchen, and an office. She had sort of a big family that came to visit a lot before she decided to move to an old folks' home; she said she had more of a chance to get another man then," Lita giggled, pulling out a key to unlock the front door. "I hope you plan on having a big family, too. It's a big house!"

Soumya poked his head out of the satchel. "It smells like bread."

"Soumya!" the blond squeaked, shoving him back inside.

"Ow!"

"Hey, I'd know that voice anywhere! It's the Chinese unicorn!" the girl crowed, smiling. "Hi Soumya!"

The kirin's voice was muffled as he answered. "Oh my God, it's the devil spawn."

"Hey!" Lita scowled and placed her hands on her hips. "You're still as much of a jerk as ever! And I bet _still_ pining after Kankana!"

Soumya's nose poked back out. "Ha! Shows how much you know. She's my mate now!" His nose disappeared before she could poke it in retaliation.

"I can't even imagine how you finagled her into that," she replied blandly, then sighed and waved a hand dismissively. "Well, go look at the house. See if it suits your needs."

Joey looked around, frowning, then looked down at Mokuba. "Hey, Mokie, why don't ya look around? I wanna talk t' Lita a little bit."

"…Okay." The younger boy's face lit up. "Could we keep the living room and convert the family room into my entertainment room?!"

"Check out the rest of the house," the blond exclaimed, giving him a small shove. Once he was out of earshot, he looked back at the witch and frowned. "Lita, don't be offended by what I'm gonna ask ya. Okay?"

Lita blinked at him before frowning and leaning against the wall. "Okay."

"What… what do ya know about dark magic?"

"Dark magic with a lowercase D or an uppercase D?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. When the blond only blinked at her, she sighed. "There _is_ a difference."

"With a capital D," Soumya supplied, poking his head back out of the satchel. "He needs information about a curse that dulls any sense of remorse or regret and sharpens any sadistic pleasure. Do you know anything?"

Lita tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, _I_ don't know anything. Let me go ask my brother, though. He's older than me. You and your brother just look around while I go get him, okay?"

"He's not my—Okay," the blond sighed, then turned to poke around downstairs.

He found the living room, family room, kitchen, and dining room, and he decided that if this was the house they chose, he'd probably just close up the dining room and put a table in the kitchen, or convert it into something else. Probably just close it up, and use it for parties or something. They could convert the living room to an entertainment room for Mokuba; the family room got more sunlight, and he'd rather there was peace and quiet there. The carpet, however, was new, and the paint jobs practical and satisfactory.

Moving toward the stairs, he called up, "So? How do ya like it?"

"I WANT THIS ONE!" Mokuba cried, running to the head of the stairs. "There's enough room for all my stuff in the bedroom across from the office and the master bedroom and master bath are already sound-proofed, and the other bedroom is right across from yours so you can put the baby in there! I love this house!"

"…Why would an old lady need sound-proofed rooms?" Joey questioned to himself quietly, frowning, only to jump as he heard the front door slam open. Turning quickly, he was stunned to find that Lita's brother actually looked nothing like her.

He was tall, true, but his short hair was a reddish-brown that seemed to fall naturally over one of his eyes, which were framed by a pair of black, square-framed glasses. His eyes were a dark green, and he was much paler than his bright, happy sister. Whereas she wore a casual bright t-shirt and jeans, he was wearing the more business-like long-sleeved, white button-up shirt and black slacks. And he looked angry.

Striding up to the younger boy quickly, he scowled. "Are you going to see Akuju?"

Joey took a step back and quickly stuttered, "I-I-I think—m-maybe?!"

"If you let me come with you, I'll let you borrow my book on Dark magic," he stated. "Provided I get it back in a timely manner and in the same condition it was given."

"…Okay," the blond squeaked, and couldn't help a sigh of relief as he turned to leave.

"I'll meet you in Mythaven in time to leave."

"…ARE YOU ALWAYS THIS CREEPY?!" Joey shouted after him angrily.

Lita smiled weakly. "Sorry about him. Haruki studies a lot of divination and stuff, so he seems to know a lot more than anyone should. Don't worry about him, though; he's a big softie once you get under his skin."

"Okay, um… Mokuba and I are gonna think hard about this house. We both like it a lot. …Thanks, Lita," he added, before hurriedly shoving Mokuba out ahead of him.

"Your brother eats children in the night!" Soumya cried, just before they scrambled into the car Seto had sent them in.

"I'll _kill you!_" Lita roared, glaring at him, but then the car was peeling away with the shriek of tires.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"…So someone's meeting us here," Seto deadpanned, arms crossed.

"It was really weird—and he sorta scared me too much to say no to him!" Joey explained quickly, frowning. "You'd have said yes too if you were there!"

The brunet raised an eyebrow and sighed. "I'll take your word for it."

"I give him ten minutes," Adhip stated gruffly. "Then we leave without him."

"I resent that!"

Both the hellhound and the Golden One squawked and turned sharply.

Haruki looked a great deal less formal now, wearing a green t-shirt and grey jacket, and a pair of khaki pants. He wasn't wearing his glasses, but they were clipped to the breast pocket of his jacket. He flipped his hair out of his eyes and scowled. "So I was a little late getting here! Lita couldn't find the pickled newt juice and she needs it for the potion she's making for someone even though she shouldn't be!"

Joey wrinkled his nose. "Pickled newt juice?"

"…It's like pickle juice, except with a newt in it," he explained, sighing. He paused, then added, "…Don't ask her for potions."

"…Whatever. Are you ready to go?" Adhip knelt. "The Golden One gets to ride because he's pregnant. …You two get to walk."

Seto rolled his eyes but reached out to grab a handful of the bristles of his mane when directed. "Thanks."

This time, Joey was more prepared for the fire springing up around him. He was annoyed, however, when he found neither Seto nor Haruki had been phased by it. He was tempted to kick both of them, but he figured something bad might happen involving fire and burns and then he'd have to heal them, so it was better if he just saved himself the trouble. He patted Adhip's head to get his attention.

The hellhound grunted. "What? We're almost there."

"So I know how to get Fenrir, but how do I get Hati?"

Adhip frowned. "He's probably chasing the moon right now, pining again, or avoiding his father and brother. …Sköll didn't really react well to his brother being homosexual either."

"I see…" Joey began quietly, frowning. "…I was hopin' I could talk t' him…"

"…He should be back soon," the hellhound replied, just as the fire began to fade, leaving them in the dungeon-like halls. "Until then, you should stick close to your mate and the widch."

The blond frowned as his mate helped him from the hellhound's back. "Why do _you_ know about that?"

"Every mythical being worth its salt knows about the D for a male witch," Adhip snorted, scraping his claws over the metal grating of the door. "_FENRIR!_"

"I'm right here, don't shout, you'll wake Sköll and he has a migraine," the wolf stated grumpily, coming out of the darkness to shove open the gate. "And of course Hati's run off after his boyfriend, so I'm stuck running between the gates and managing the hellhounds on duty—"

Seto glanced at his mate for a moment before looking back up at the wolf. "We're here to see—"

"Akuju, yes, I know," he snapped, waving his paw. "Hurry up. I need to get to one of the higher rings, because the hellhounds are running around like chickens with their heads cut off—hurry up!"

Joey tripped slightly and grabbed Seto's arm before he fell as they were shoved into Akuju's cell. "Ack!"

"I'll be back in half an hour don't try to break out bad things happen then," Fenrir explained hurriedly, before he left at a high trot.

The three boys blinked at the cell's door for a few minutes, stunned, before a soft cough drew their attention back to the reason they were there.

Akuju frowned at them for a moment before slowly asking, "Sooo… I suppose you're here about the curse…"

"No! I'm here to kick your ass!" Haruki exclaimed angrily. "Do you know what you did to me?!"

"I don't even know you!" the raven-haired man stated, then let out a frightened cry and began dashing about the small cell in an attempt to avoid any physical injury.

"Maybe you'd recognize me better if I had longer hair and boobs!"

"That's a lot of people!"

"How many of them are named Haruko?!"

"Haruko was a delicate flower!"

"I'll 'delicate flower' your face in!"

Joey frowned. "I didn't know he was going to be doing this."

"I need him alive!" Seto called out, but didn't really sound concerned.

Haruki roared and tackled the other man to the ground, then began punching him in the face. "Jerk! Jerk! Jerk! You slept with me and then you _left me!_"

"I slept with a girl! …Who was much nicer!" Akuju exclaimed, trying desperately to protect himself.

"I HAVE LIVED FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS! I NEED TO HIDE FROM PEOPLE! CHANGING GENDERS EVERY FEW CENTURIES HELPS!"

Joey frowned. "…Is there a potion for that?"

"If you can give a frank a gender, a witch should be able to change her own," Seto replied, then sighed. "I try not to think about it too much."

"Um… Haruki? …Haruki!" The blond scratched his head, frowning, then let out a high-pitched scream.

Haruki leapt up and turned immediately. "What is it!?"

"…I just wanted you to stop," Joey stated after a moment, brows furrowing together. "What did you say he did?"

The widch scowled. "This _jackass_—" he spat, kicking the other man as he curled up in a ball. "—Slept with me about four hundred years ago, then left, promising he'd come back. He never did."

"I was cursed!" Akuju exclaimed helplessly. "I couldn't go back to Haruko like that!"

"Oh? And just who were you cursed by?" Haruki asked, turning back to him and placing his hands on his hips.

"…Some lady with black hair." He frowned and brushed at his own hair. "Longer than mine. And red eyes. And she wears a giant red bow in her hair." He paused. "…And she only wore enough to be legal."

"…That sounds like Nasaulea. Whatever could you have done to fall in with someone like her?" Haruki asked, scowl changing to a frown of confusion. "She's sneaky like a snake and slippery like an eel."

"You're standing on my hand."

The widch blinked, then looked down in confusion to find he was, indeed, standing on the other man's hand. "Oh."

"…Please get off."

Seto glanced between the two at-odds males, then turned to his mate. "Why don't you and… Haruki… go look for… Hati?"

"But he's not-?" Joey began, brows furrowing together, before glancing back at Haruki and Akuju. The widch was looking at the other man thoughtfully, not looking half as angry as he had been. Akuju was looking at the floor, looking much smaller than he had before. "…Oh. Okay. Haruki, will you come with me to find Hati?"

Haruki blinked at him before slowly nodding. "Okay." He paused, then walked over to the gate of the cell. "I know Fenrir said not to break out, but it's not exactly _breaking out_ if I just unlock the door, right?"

Seto waited until they were gone before turning his attention back to the other man. "I was afraid I'd be too angry to talk to you. Now, all I feel is pity. I don't even know him and Haruki scares the hell out of me."

.-.-.-.-.-.

"I thought Fenrir said that Hati wasn't here?" Haruki asked, frowning, then came to a stop when he found some hieroglyphics on the wall. "Ooh, Ancient Egyptian."

Joey turned and scowled at him. "Hrmph."

"…Right. Sorry. Where are we going?"

"In a general… that way direction," the blond replied, pointing upward and out.

"That sounds about right."

The two humans stopped as they heard a sniffle, then turned. Hati was trudging up from the direction they'd come from, tail dragging on the ground and ears wilting like a scolded pup. He looked sad.

Joey frowned in concern and walked to meet him. "Hati? What's wrong?"

"He… he…" the giant wolf whimpered, tail curling underneath his belly.

"He… The moon?"

"…He called me a _stupid pain in the ass puppy!_" Hati wailed, then collapsed and began to sob. "He's tired of me—he wants me to leave him alone— He said I was nothing but a nuisance!"

Joey hugged one side of his head gently, petting above one of his teary eyes. "Oh, Hati. I'm sorry."

Haruki hesitated before going over to the other side of his head to hug him as well. "I don't know what's going on, but… that doesn't sound very kind."

"_Hati!_ I have a fuckin' migraine! Why are you running around screaming like a—Ha-Ha?"

Sköll looked nothing like his brother. Hati was dark red, but Sköll looked like his father, dark as ebony with flaming red eyes. The small, affectionate question sounded so wrong coming from his scary visage.

Sköll reached out to tap his brother with his paw gently. "Ha-Ha? Why are you crying?"

"The moon-! He told me to leave him alone! That he hates me!" Hati sobbed, then used his paws to hug both humans closer. "All I ever wanted was to make him happy…!"

Joey shivered and pressed closer to the broken wolf as his brother's eyes lit up with rage. "Uh oh."

Sköll snarled and bared his teeth, saliva dripping from his fangs as his hackles rose. _**"Tell father I'll be back soon."**_

Joey had a very bad feeling that very disastrous consequences were the only thing that could come of this.


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: Well, my goodness. This is going to be an interesting chapter. I can't wait for your reviews to this one. **X3**

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Sköll reached out to tap his brother with his paw gently. "Ha-Ha? Why are you crying?"_

"_The moon-! He told me to leave him alone! That he hates me!" Hati sobbed, then used his paws to hug both humans closer. "All I ever wanted was to make him happy…!"_

_Joey shivered and pressed closer to the broken wolf as his brother's eyes lit up with rage. "Uh oh."_

_Sköll snarled and bared his teeth, saliva dripping from his fangs as his hackles rose. __**"Tell father I'll be back soon."**_

_Joey had a very bad feeling that very disastrous consequences were the only thing that could come of this._

Chapter 17

"…Hati, are you gonna be okay now?" Joey asked after a few minutes, petting the trembling wolf's head gently.

"No," Hati replied tearfully. "I just wanna curl up and _die._" He covered his head with his paws. "When Dad finds out, he's just gonna go on about how that's why I should find myself a nice girl and settle down with her! I don't want him to say 'I told you so!' I want him to nuzzle me and tell me 'better luck next time!'"

Haruki patted his paw comfortingly. "I know how you feel. Just let it all out."

The wolf sniffled loudly, then turned to look at the blond. "Joey? Can I stay with you for a while?"

Joey frowned and took a few steps back. "Well, I think people will notice something as big as you, even if you do hide behind the mansion…"

Hati let out a pathetic whimper. "I can shrink! I can shrink! Look!" He squeezed his eyes shut and shook himself roughly.

The blond yelped as he seemed to explode, leaving fur everywhere, but then he saw the pile in the middle begin shaking, and out popped a furry, sad little face. "Oh my God! What the hell was that?!"

"I shrank! See! You can take me now, can't you?!" the wolf asked desperately, then let out a whine. "I'm stuck!"

Haruki coughed to cover a snort of amusement and moved to help dig him out of the pile of fur. "Well, I don't see any reason you shouldn't be allowed out of Mythaven now."

Joey crossed his arms and frowned. "…Well, I'll have t' ask Seto, but as long as ya don't talk t' anyone, I don't see why not." He bit his bottom lip and glanced around anxiously. "We should get back. I wouldn't want Fenrir to catch us outside of Akuju's cell."

"I promise I won't be any trouble!" Hati exclaimed, quickly trotting after him.

"Well, knowing that Nasaulea is involved, I'll let you borrow a book on past calamities that she was immediately involved in. She's pretty evil," Haruki explained, crossing his arms as well. "I expect both that and my book of Dark magic back in excellent condition, though."

The blond nodded slightly. "Yeah, I can see why you'd want that. …Haruki? How did you and your sister know who I was when you met me?"

The redhead glanced over at him in surprise, then uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well, all witches have the ability to see auras, and since I was born a girl, it just carried over to being able to do it as a male. Most widches, if they want to be able to see auras, have to train really hard," he explained, seeing the younger boy's confused expression. "But it's not really hard to spot a Golden One if you can see auras. You're the only ones in the world with golden auras."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. How old are you, anyway?"

At that, Haruki placed his hands on his hips and turned to shoot him a dirty look. "Were you never taught that asking a lady her age is dangerous?"

Joey blinked at him for a moment, stunned, then scowled. "You've got a penis now, doncha?!"

"…Hmm. Touché. I'm nine hundred and seventy-four."

"Wow, that's old! Are you guys immortal or something?"

"No, we die around three thousand or so. Witches are only born every hundred and fifty years after we reach sexual maturity. Otherwise, all offspring are human. That's why we still practice 'safe sex.' Hence, the potion Lita is making even though she shouldn't be because it's supposed to be for witches _only._"

"Oh." Joey tilted his head. "…So how did you and Akuju—"

Haruki sighed and held up his hand. "Please, Golden One, don't make me give you nightmares."

"…Okay."

.-.-.-.-.-.

"—Listen, I _told_ you already: I don't _know_ how to kill the remnants of the curse. I just asked this lady some questions, she offered me a job, and then _BOOM!_ I'm cursed and want to take over Mythaven," Akuju sighed, rolling his eyes as he sat down on his bed. "I'm sorry I can't tell you more; I honestly wish I could, if only to get back at the bitch."

Seto leaned against the wall and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'll see what else I can learn from Haruki, then. He seemed to know who you were talking about." He paused, then turned his gaze back on the other man and raised an eyebrow. "He seems nice."

"_Haruko—_" the raven-haired man ground out, glaring at him. "—Was sweet and thoughtful and would _never_ raise her hand to anyone!"

"…I suppose if someone slept with her and left in the middle of the night, never to return, she'd be a little bitter," the brunet commented innocently.

Akuju opened his mouth, then sighed and closed it again. "I loved Haruko. I wanted to start a life with her. But her parents said that until I got a steady job, I had no chance with her, so I left to find one. I had no idea I wouldn't come back." He clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them sadly. "I know I should have said goodbye, but I thought I'd be back soon and it wouldn't matter. I don't know if I could love Haruki like I loved Haruko."

Seto snarled and glared at him, spitting, "You didn't seem to have a problem molesting Joey!"

"It's not the _gender_ I'm worried about, you fool! …I've been cursed far too long to just jump into a relationship and think I'll know what to do." He sighed quietly and let his head hang in defeat. "I've got a few millennia to suffer down here anyway. Haruki will be dead by the time I've been given a second chance."

The brunet frowned as he felt the anger draining out of him; Akuju actually looked sad about this news. And thinking about it, Haruki didn't really deserve it either.

He turned his head as he heard giggling and raised an eyebrow as he found his mate covering his mouth in glee as Haruki smiled in amusement. "What's so funny?"

"I told him about the first time Lita tried to make a potion for acne when she was younger and ended up turning her skin blue."

Seto smiled a little himself, then frowned when he saw the melancholy looking wolf trudging after them. "…Who is that?"

Joey's smile faded a little. "This… this is Hati. …Is it okay if he stays with us a little while?! He's house trained!"

"…Okaaay…" The brunet raised an eyebrow, but somehow, he just knew that there was more to it. "I suppose, if he feels he must. I've learned all I can here, which wasn't much; I'm ready to go."

The younger boy looked up at Haruki before turning back to him. "I think we're finished too. Can you get back by yourself, or do you need to come with us?"

Haruki smiled and reached out to ruffle his hair. "I'll get back on my own, thanks. You're a sweet kid." He glanced at Akuju, then shoved his hands back into his pockets. "I'll give you the books when you come show the house you and your little brother like to your boyfriend, okay?"

"But we haven't even talked about that yet—" the younger boy began in confusion.

The redhead chuckled. "You will." Then, he turned and moved toward the raven-haired man that was intent on _not_ looking at him.

Joey might have been frightened, but then he vaguely remembered Lita talking about Haruki being good at divination or something, so he sighed and nodded slightly. "Okay. …Don't hurt him too bad, 'kay?"

"I'll try," Haruki promised, smiling, as he twirled a few strands of the man's black hair between his fingers.

"Ugh, let's leave before I get sick," Seto mumbled, hiding his face in the blond's shoulder.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Kankana's really not herself without you there," Joey commented, sitting down at the table in the kitchen.

Soumya—about the size of a medium-sized dog now—sighed and bowed his head. "Yes, but I can't go back until I've reached my normal size. I won't be able to help with the pups like this."

"…Is this why Akai didn't even blink at killin' ya?" the blond asked in confusion. "Because ya have re—what was it?—regenerative stuff? …Wouldn't ya regenerate or whatever in Mythaven, then?"

The dragon-deer sighed again and glanced away. "Joey, I was _born_ in this world. The only reason Mythaven exists is for mythical creatures' safeties; we _all_ came from this world. It would only make sense that I regenerate here, near the house the sage I was affiliated with lived. I had to claw my way out from under a parking lot; they'd paved over the home—it had been a modest hut, and apparently it wasn't _important_ enough to keep up. I hadn't seen this place since I went to Mythaven; humans have really… _grown_ since we left."

Joey blinked before leaning his chin in his hand. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean there was a lot more plant life and lot less fake things like asphalt and buildings and cars. …I remember when humans were at peace with the land… Now it just seems like you're fighting it…" He sighed, then lifted his head to glare at him. "The Ancient Golden Ones would be appalled. I'm sorry that you have to live in this day and age; things were a lot simpler ages ago."

The blond blinked again, stunned, as the kirin got up and trotted out. Soumya had always been down to earth and, sometimes, very pessimistic, but hearing that he'd had to claw his way out from under a parking lot, he could see why; he'd heard eco-activists screaming about how humans were raping the Earth and ruining Her resources, speaking as if the planet was a real living thing. Hearing how Soumya spoke about it, how many of the creatures of Mythaven spoke about it, made it clear that it somehow was.

He wished he'd known that. Maybe he should talk Seto into buying a hunk of undeveloped land and keeping it that way…

Joey blinked as he heard frantic pounding on the door, then hurriedly heaved himself to his feet. He hadn't been expecting anyone, and Seto never had anyone over—but they _were_ expecting Mokuba home from working on a project at a friend's. He arrived in the entryway just in time to see Seto throw open the door.

"OH MY GOD HELP ME!" Mokuba shrieked, thrusting something into his brother's arms. "HELP ME!"

"Why, what is it—" Seto nearly dropped it as he found a fawn-colored furry creature blinking its large yellow eyes at him. "JOEY!"

"I'm right here, ya big babies!" Joey snapped, walking up beside them; honestly, it was a good thing he was the Golden One and not them. He squeaked in adoration when he found what looked like a lion cub with a more-canine facial structure and a small, unicorn-like horn protruding from its forehead being held awkwardly in his mate's hands. "Oh, you're so cute!"

"_Myoh!"_ the creature mewed, squeezing its eyes at him in what he could only describe as a friendly manner.

"I found it in a ditch on my way home!" Mokuba exclaimed, flailing his arms about frantically. "It's a mythical being, right!? I couldn't just leave it there! Think of what might happen if a regular person just found it! It could be experimented on and suffer a lot and I just couldn't let that happen!"

"Thank you, Mokuba." Joey patted its head as he drew it into his arms, smiling sweetly as the creature began to purr. Then, he turned and roared, "SOUMYA, I NEED YOU!"

He heard a muffled curse before the dragon-deer scampered out of the living room—where he was, no doubt, bouncing on the sofa, even after he'd told him not to. "What? Why? What have I done? …Why are you holding that haitai?"

"…I just wanted t' know what it was. I figured you were related because ya both have horns and you're both ridiculous crosses of creatures," the blond replied, smiling. When he only received a confused frown, he explained, "Well, you're a mix of dragon and deer, and this is a mix of lion and dog, right?"

"A cross of dragon and deer is _not_ ridiculous, thank you very much!" Soumya cried, looked affronted. "Ex-_cuse_ me!"

"…Yeah. So why was it in a ditch?"

The kirin huffed, then sighed and sat down heavily. "The ditch had water in it, did it not?" When Mokuba nodded, he sighed again. "What a haitai is, is a fire-eating dog. Haitais are just associated with water because of their ability to eat fire, and water is usually used to put fire out, so it just makes sense for them to be there. And yes, we're related—distantly. We are both identified with justice and guardians against disaster. …And yes, we both have horns," he deadpanned.

Joey frowned. "That doesn't explain _why_ it was in the ditch when it should be safe in Mythaven!"

"Unlike kirins and dragons, when a haitai hatches is not predictable _[1]_. There have been some that have hatched after a few days, and others that have hatched after a few centuries—whenever the kit feels damn good and ready to pop out. Unfortunately, if it takes longer than a few decades—or if the environment begins to be taken over by others—the kits' parents will abandon the eggs and leave for safer ground. …The kits usually die after a few weeks, because they'll sit beside their broken egg shell and wait for their parents. He was probably abandoned when Mythaven was created and has only just recently chosen to hatch."

"It called me _'mama!'_" Mokuba exclaimed, drawing the attention back to him. "What do I do!?"

Soumya frowned. "…Well, you're his mama; why don't you tell me?"

"AUGH!"

"No—listen—okay, okay, I'll take care of this," Joey sighed, rolling his eyes. "Come on, little guy. Let's go talk t' Kankana."

"You're not making my mate adopt that thing during her mourning period, are you?!" the kirin exclaimed, appalled.

"…Fire. Eating. Dog. _Dog,_" the blond deadpanned. "Besides, he's your cousin, right? Family should take care of each other."

Soumya scowled. "That's not how it works! It has imprinted and Mokuba and will die without him!"

"But I don't _want_ to be its mother!" the youngest teen wailed.

"…You have to at least get it fed before you take it to Kankana," the kirin mumbled. "It doesn't understand why it's being sent away. At least it knows that if it's fed, it was wanted, but couldn't be taken care of."

Joey blinked at him, then gasped. "You just didn't want him!"

"I didn't want Kankana to have him until I was there to help. She's got five pups along with all the other canines in Den. I want to be there to take over if she needs to crash." He glanced away awkwardly. "Our children are… _unruly_ sometimes, to say the least."

"Well of course they are; all children get 'unruly' sometimes," the blond replied, smiling, as he patted him on the head. "You're a good guy, Soumya. No matter how much of a jerk ya seem t' be."

Soumya grumbled at him before he turned to walk back into the living room.

"AND DON'T JUMP ON MY COUCH."

Mokuba whined quietly as the haitai was placed in his arms. "How 'm I supposed to feed it, anyway?"

"Light a candle; it'll handle the rest," Soumya called absently.

Joey scowled. "If my couch sags on one side I'm gonna be mad!"

"…Joey, I can buy a new couch."

"That's not the point, idiot!"

Mokuba watched the couple bicker for a few moments, then frowned. "Joey? …He… can't be the only mythical being that was left here. There have to be others."

Joey stopped mid-sentence, then frowned and looked at the younger boy in confusion. "…But if there _are_ others, what could I do? I can't just run around lookin' for 'em. I've got a baby on the way."

"_Mama!"_ the haitai cried suddenly. _"Hungry!"_

"_Ayiee!_" Mokuba began rushing up the stairs. "Where do we keep the candles?!"

"In the linen closet closest to our rooms!" the blond called after him.

Seto frowned. "_I_ don't even know where the candles are. Why do you know?"

"Because ya didn't _have_ any candles before I bought them," Joey replied, rolling his eyes. "Honestly, what would ya do if the power went out?"

"There's a backup generator." The older boy looked perplexed at the notion that his power would go out at all.

The blond sighed. "And if that went out?"

"…Flashlights."

"And when the batteries die?"

"…Thank you for buying candles."

Joey pressed a quick kiss to his lips before leaning back, frowning again. "But really. If there _are_ others out there, how would I find 'em t' get 'em to Mythaven t' keep them safe?"

Seto tilted his head thoughtfully, then sighed and drew the worried blond into his arms. "That's going to take some serious thought."

"…Or, you could, you know, ask the kirin," Soumya added sarcastically, coming to stand in the doorway.

The brunet rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine. Do you have any ideas, Soumya?"

"Talk to Huginn and Muninn. They know everything about everyone." He turned his head away as he sat down. "I'll save you the time you'd have to take to look them up; they're ravens, from Norse Mythology. It's said that they were minions of the god Odin, but really, when you meet, them, you'll be able to tell—they only help people when they feel like it, and they have a selective clientele. That might help you. Now, I can help get the word around that you want to see them, but whether or not they actually come is completely up to them. Keep some cheesecake on hand."

Joey frowned worriedly. "Cheesecake? Do they like store-bought, or would they prefer homemade?"

Seto sighed and slapped his hand to his forehead. This proved just how used they were to Mythaven; Joey was worried about how a pair of ravens liked their _cheesecake._

As Soumya trotted away to get the word out to 'Huginn and Muninn,' the blond sighed and laid his head on the older boy's chest. "I'm gettin' so tired. I need a break. …But babies don't give breaks."

"_!!!!!!!!"_

Joey sighed again and pulled away. "I'll be right back. Hati's gotten his head stuck in the toilet again."

Hati may have shrunk, but he was still large in dog standards, and with the collar they'd put on him just in case he got nabbed by the pound on his nightly explorations, he kept getting caught on the toilet seat.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto leaned his head in the doorway and sighed. His mate was really getting exhausted with all of the things going on. They were going on month six of his pregnancy, and he _really_ didn't need all of this stress when his body wasn't even meant to carry a child anyway. To add to that stress, he now had a broken-hearted wolf to deal with.

After another few minutes, he commented, "You shouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing you cry."

Hati jumped, then turned his head to look at him guiltily. "Oh. …I know. But… I really liked him."

"Somehow, I think your brother has taken care of it," the brunet replied. "He's your younger brother, isn't he?"

"…Well, yeah…"

"Did you know that younger brothers can be even more vicious than any older sibling could ever hope to be?" Seto smiled a little. "I could ruin the life of anyone that hurt Mokuba, but… I sure as hell wouldn't want to be the person that managed to hurt me." He chuckled. "Honestly, I'm more afraid of my little brother and Joey's little sister than anything else in the world. Serenity and Mokuba have the innocent appearance, which just makes them that much more dangerous."

Hati tilted his head, blinking in befuddlement. "…But he wasn't happy when he found out I was gay. …Neither was my dad, for that matter…"

"…This may come as a shock, but they never stopped loving you. When your brother saw you crying, his disapproval was forgotten, because in his mind, he's the only one with the right to upset you." Seto paused, then continued, "And I can only assume that your father will get involved. You've become the girl in your family, and he'll be damned if a boy breaks your heart. That's the great thing about wolves; the pack cares about each other no matter how pissed they may be."

The wolf bristled at being called a girl, but when he realized that what he said was true, he couldn't help but feel a little thankful for his father and brother. "…I guess you're right."

The brunet smiled a little and jerked his head for him to come. "Come inside. It's supposed to rain tonight."

Hati heaved himself to his feet and began inside. "…Thanks for the pep talk, Kaiba."

"No problem." Seto shut the door, then turned a sharp glare on the wolf, making him freeze and look up at him like a deer in the headlights. "I have left a pot of water out for you to drink from. If I wake up because you're screaming that you've gotten your head stuck in the toilet again, I'm gonna be one pissed off dragon. Do you understand?"

"…That's funny; I suddenly feel no urge to drink anything whatsoever." The wolf shot him one last, wary look before scampering out of the kitchen.

Seto took a few minutes to shut off all of the lights and lock the doors before making his way upstairs. He checked on his brother, placed his books on the bedside table, and tucked him in, then went to his own room. He bypassed the bed to go to the bathroom and flipped on the light.

Immediately, one bleary green eye was on him. When Joy realized it was just him, however, he let his eye drift back closed and repositioned his head atop Codi's as she sighed and curled tighter around their two eggs.

Seto smiled a little before he turned the light off and went to lie with his own mate. Cuddling up closely behind the blond, he sighed and placed a kiss on his neck before relaxing completely. When the younger boy squirmed around in his arms to face him and mumbled his name with a smile, he couldn't help a lazy grin of his own—and a kiss on the lips that had the blond snuggling closer.

Seto let his eyes drift closed and heaved a sigh of content. Even with all of the stressful crap going on, when he finally came to bed at night and held his mate in his arms, he couldn't help but feel at peace with the world.

.-.-.-.-.-.

BAD IDEA! HORRIBLE IDEA! ABOMINABLE IDEA!

FRANKS WERE EVIL!!!

The black snake slithered away as quickly as it could. It would need a different victim—a victim already weak and vulnerable.

Pausing at the edge of the forest, it eyed the canine it found lounging outside critically.

She looked heartbroken, sad, and oblivious to what was going on around her. She lifted her head as a larger wolf began out of the entrance of the cave nearby, spoke quietly to him, then laid her head back on her paws as the other canine trotted away.

She was exhausted, weak, vulnerable.

She was the perfect host.

* * *

[1] Yeah, I don't know how the hell haitai are created (or what the plural of 'haitai' is, for that matter), so I just twisted it to suit my needs. However, it's farfetched at best; MAMMALS DO NOT LAY EGGS. Unless, of course, it's a platypus, in which case IT'S EVOLUTION'S IDEA OF A JOKE.

Yes, I did say evolution. Don't message me saying "It's supposed to be 'It's God's idea of a joke'" because I'm just being POLITICALLY CORRECT. *dies*


	18. Chapter 18

Author's Note: OMG WE'RE STARTING WITH A LEMON FOR REALZ?! Yes. Because we left off on such a good note last chapter, and because pregnant women can get SURPRISINGLY HORNY. O.o I know. You'll see one of those OMG LEMON'S OVER NOW when it's safe to look if you're not into a lemon today, okay?

Also… Please forgive me for not answering your reviews. I KNOW I'M A LAZY ASS SHAME ON ME. **:**(

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Immediately, one bleary green eye was on him. When Joy realized it was just him, however, he let his eye drift back closed and repositioned his head atop Codi's as she sighed and curled tighter around their two eggs._

_Seto smiled a little before he turned the light off and went to lie with his own mate. Cuddling up closely behind the blond, he sighed and placed a kiss on his neck before relaxing completely. When the younger boy squirmed around in his arms to face him and mumbled his name with a smile, he couldn't help a lazy grin of his own—and a kiss on the lips that had the blond snuggling closer._

_Seto let his eyes drift closed and heaved a sigh of content. Even with all of the stressful crap going on, when he finally came to bed at night and held his mate in his arms, he couldn't help but feel at peace with the world._

Chapter 18

Joey sighed quietly as he rubbed his swollen stomach, eyes fluttering open as another hand that wasn't his joined him in rubbing his belly. "Mm… Seto…?"

"You're beautiful," the brunet whispered, before leaning over to nibble his neck.

"Nn…" The blond sighed again and slid his hand over the older boy's, tangling their fingers together. "That feels nice…"

"Mm… Good…" Seto trailed his lips up to the younger boy's jaw and began to purr. "I want it to feel nice…"

Joey mewed quietly as the brunet untangled their hands and slid his hand down to pet his thigh. "Seto… I just woke up…"

"So you're not in the mood?" The brunet gave him a soft kiss on the cheek before sighing quietly. "Alright, sorry."

"I didn't say I wasn't in the mood. I said I just woke up. You're gonna send me back t' sleep like this." The younger boy shivered as the brunet's purr grew louder.

Seto licked his chin lovingly before reaching down to pull at the hem of his boxers. "I guess we'll just have to wake you up then, won't we?"

Joey gasped as he felt something wiggling between his thighs and looked back at him quickly. "Seto—"

"I figure that if I have a tail, I should be able to use it, hmm?" The brunet smirked as he slid the other boy's boxers down and wrapped the end of his tail around his ankle, lifting his leg out of the way. "I'll be gentle with you, puppy."

The blond could only moan helplessly as the older boy's hand slid between his legs and began to pet his thigh again. "Oh…"

Seto hummed and trailed his fingers up to gently massage his balls. "What, no complaints?"

"Oooh…!" Joey shivered as the brunet gave his balls a small squeeze and grabbed the blankets tightly. "S-Seto, please… Don't play with me…!" He moaned as the hand moved to rub his inner thigh again. "Mm… make love t' me…"

"You're not much into foreplay this morning, are you?" the older boy quipped quietly, smiling, before catching the blond's earlobe between his teeth and suckling on it. "Mmph… Okay."

"Ah-!" Joey gasped as the brunet slid into him quickly and gave the blankets in his hand a squeeze. "Oh…!"

Seto chuckled quietly. "Are you still worried about dozing off, puppy?"

The blond moaned helplessly as the older boy rocked against him, rolling his hips to meet his thrusts. "Oh! Seto!" He reached back and dug his fingers into his hair, breath hitching slightly as he closed his eyes. "Yes…! Right there!"

"Mm, Joey… I love you…" The brunet rested his hand on the younger boy's hip and began thrusting faster. "You like that, don't you, puppy?"

"God, yes, I love it-!" Joey groaned and reached down to grab his erection. "Love you-! Uhn! Seto!"

Seto's purr grew louder as he pressed closer to the blond's back, twitching his hips to drive into him harder. "Say it again…"

"I love you!" The blond whimpered quietly. "Seto!"

"Again…"

"I love you!"

Seto growled and lifted his leg a little further. "Again."

"I love you!" Joey moaned and rolled his hips back harder. "Uhn! Yes!"

"Again!"

"I love you!" The blond sobbed quietly. "I love you, I love you, I love you!"

The brunet growled again and reached around to bat his hand away and replace it with his own. "One more time, puppy."

"I-I love you! Ah! Love you! God! You're gonna make me—" Joey groaned. "Seto!"

Seto moaned quietly as the blond tightened around him and began stroking him faster. "You're so beautiful. I love you. You're so cute and loveable, like a puppy—how could I have been so blind when I was making fun of you…?"

"Ah! Ha! Se-! Seto!" The blond sobbed again. "Seto! I'm gonna come!"

The brunet nuzzled his neck tenderly. "Then by all means, come."

Joey threw his head back with a cry as he climaxed, body trembling with the force. "_Ah!_"

Seto grunted as the blond's channel clamped down on him, ramming into him a few more times, before reaching his own climax. "God-! You're so tight!"

"Nn…!" The younger boy turned his head, licking his lips slightly, then leaned over and brushed a kiss across his cheek. "That's the way you like me."

The brunet let out a rumble of approval and dipped his head to pull him into a proper kiss. "Mm… Very good answer, puppy."

Joey giggled quietly and broke the kiss to whisper, "Only because I'm in a very good mood. You should enjoy it while it lasts, 'cause with my hormones bouncin' all over the place, I may just ban sex until the baby turns fifty. Then were would ya be?"

"I would be very, very sad," Seto replied, before catching his lips again.

"Hmm… Ya know, I think I might be sad, too," the blond whispered, then turned and wrapped his arms around him. "Maybe just until he turns twenty."

The brunet snorted. "I'd still be very sad."

* * *

_OMG! IT'S OVER! You can uncover your virgin eyes. …I don't understand how people can still have virgin eyes after reading it this long, though. :/_

* * *

Any further banter was cut off by a soft scratching at the door. "Joey? Huginn and Muginn are here. …They demand cheesecake," Hati stated from the other side of the door.

Soumya's voice came next. "They would also like your silverware because it's shiny."

The blond squawked and scrambled to sit up. "Fuck! It's in the fridge! …NO ONE DOWNSTAIRS HAS THUMBS." He got up and waddled to the bathroom as quickly as he was able. "Stall for me!"

Seto chuckled and stretched for a moment, then got to his feet as well. "Don't panic, puppy; they'll probably wait."

"Probably isn't good enough! …You should start wearin' condoms. I'm always a mess after we do it."

"We should both start, then. After all, that's not my cum on the sheets."

Joey blushed. "Shut up!" Once finished cleaning up, he rushed out (in a manner of speaking) and got dressed. Then, he made his way toward the door. When he opened it, he was met with a wildly grinning wolf. "…What?"

Hati's grin turned into a smirk. "I know what you two just did." Then, cackling, he galloped away as the blond blushed and sputtered in embarrassment.

Seto sighed. "The birds need cheesecake."

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey watched the two birds fly away, smiling in relief; they'd agreed to keep an eye out for other mythical beings and send them to their house, and had even said he made the best cheesecake they'd ever had! He loved compliments on his cooking!

However, there was one rain cloud on his bright sunny day.

HATI HAD BEEN SMIRKING AT HIM ALL MORNING.

"Joey, have you seen my…" Seto trailed of as he glanced between the smirking wolf and glaring blond, then turned to leave the room. "Never mind, I'll find it myself. Are we taking the haitai back today?"

"What?" The blond looked up at him in surprise, then smiled. "Yeah, I thought so; seein' Mokuba panic was funny, but I think it's best if we take the haitai somewhere that it'll be safe."

"Okay. So, Haruki mentioned that you wanted to show me a house?" the brunet asked, walking over to brush the younger boy's bangs out of his face. "Is it the one you and Mokuba have chosen to move into?"

Joey frowned. "Well, it's the one we like best, but if you don't like it, we decided we could look some more."

"I'll tell you right now that I love it already." Seto brushed a kiss against his lips and smiled. "So why don't we go see it?"

"Can I come too?" Hati asked, nosing in between them.

The blond smiled as the older boy huffed in affront, then looked down at the wolf and patted his head. "Not today, okay? Maybe next time, though."

The wolf frowned and tilted his head, then glanced between them. Frown suddenly turning into a knowing smirk, he turned and walked away, tail flipping up haughtily. "_You_ just want to be able to have some hanky panky in the car."

Joey blushed. "S-shut the hell up! You pervert! Just how long were ya standin' outside our door?!"

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto knew something was off the moment he saw the house. The paint on the outside was white, but he knew in the back of his mind it was supposed to be sea foam green. And the knob on the door was supposed to be a latch. There was supposed to be a row of roses around the picket fence, not tulips. It was… wrong.

But where had he seen it before?

"Isn't it pretty? Lita says there are three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a livin' room, a family room, a dinin' room, a kitchen, and an office. Now, Mokuba wants to convert the family room into a game room, but I decided that the livin' room will be the one converted, since the family room gets more sunlight. I figured we could shut the dinin' room up unless we were entertainin' and just eat in the kitchen."

Seto nodded absently and went up to look at the door. "I suppose that could be arranged."

"And there's another bedroom across from the master bedroom that could be the baby's room. Mokuba says the master bath and bedroom are already soundproofed. It's weird, don't ya think? I mean, why would an old lady need soundproofed rooms? Anyway, I was thinking I could take out some of the tulips and put in some different—"

"What about roses?"

Joey blinked, surprised, then frowned thoughtfully. "I suppose. They're simple enough t' take care of."

"And what do you think of the house being sea foam green?"

The blond tilted his head. "But you said ya didn't wanna do any paintin' or anything—"

Seto frowned. "Something about this house. It's familiar, but at the same time…"

Joey stared up at him for a few moments, then looked down and gently grabbed the older boy's hands. "…I dunno how it could be familiar; this is the first time we've ever come down this way."

The pair jumped as the front door opened.

The elderly woman blinked at them for a moment. "Oh, excuse me. …Can I help you?"

"Oh! I was just showin' Seto the house!" the blond replied, smiling. "His brother and I really like it, so now we just hafta get him to agree!"

"I see. Well, I was just retrieving something I'd forgotten when I moved; if you want to show him the inside, I won't mind waiting a few minutes longer, Mr…?"

"Wheeler. You can call me Joey, though." Joey looked up at the other boy. "This is Seto Kaiba."

"Seto…?" The woman blinked at him from behind her glasses. "…I don't suppose you've had any other name then."

Seto shrugged and stepped past her into the house to look around. "I did—a different last name, anyway. I'd have to do some research to tell you what it was, though."

"Oh, my little Seto-Shnookums!"

Seto had to admit the nickname was familiar, but when the old lady half his size hugged him, he was a little freaked out. "Holy _shit_—"

Joey gasped as he saw lightning and covered his eyes quickly. "Oh God! How are we gonna explain this one?!"

"Now _really!_ I realize it's been a few years since you've seen me, but _electrocuting me!_"

The blond hesitated before slowly spreading his fingers and opening his eyes.

The elderly woman was fine, if not a little charred. She was cleaning her glasses as the brunet tried to pick himself up from the floor. "You're lucky I still dabble in magic, or else you'd be explaining why I was in a coma!"

"God… that… hurt…" Seto leaned against the wall, grimacing. "Oh _God._"

"Are you okay?" Joey asked hesitantly.

"Oh, I'm fine, dearie; thanks for asking. You should see to your mate," she replied, waving toward the teen that had not yet been able to stand.

The blond rushed over to his fallen mate immediately. "Seto? Where does it hurt?"

"_Everywhere._"

"…I guess that's a good place t' start as any," the younger boy began, brushing his fingers over the brunet's chest and watching as the healing sparks went to work. "What happened?"

"She threw up a reflective shield. GOD THAT HURTS."

"Well what did you expect me to do?" the elderly woman exclaimed. "Just let you zap me?"

Joey looked up at her innocently. "Does that mean you're a witch too? Were you born a girl? How old does that make you? Who are you? Do you know—"

"Focus on healing me please," Seto deadpanned.

"Oh! Sorry!" The blond blushed and looked back at what he was doing. "Does it feel better?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Yes, Joey, I am a witch," the woman answered after she had finished cleaning her glasses. "And yes, I was born a girl. I'm going on two thousand and thirty nine next August, and yes, I know Lita and Haruki."

Seto huffed. "That doesn't answer who you are."

"Well, I think it should be obvious now; you recognize the house, don't you?" She waved at it vaguely. "I couldn't help but hear that you wanted to paint the house sea foam green and put in some roses where the tulips are. That's how I kept the house before that realtor told me to change everything. Doesn't that give you a clue?"

The brunet scowled and turned his head away. "I try to forget that part of my life."

Joey frowned and looked up at him in confusion. "Why? Seto, what's goin' on?"

"I believe that this woman is telling me she's my grandmother. I've repressed those memories. All they brought was pain."

"_I_ wasn't in control of your inheritance, young man," she stated sternly. "You weren't even in my custody! I saw you two once, at the hospital, and once, at the funeral, and then I never saw you again! When I heard what your aunt and uncle had done, I was fit to be tied! Imagine, just using up your inheritance and then tossing you aside!

"I tried to go to the courts to get custody, but you kept being moved to different houses, and then when I finally found you at the orphanage, I had to go back to court to prove that I was a capable guardian! When I finally got back to the orphanage, you were gone! Now, I didn't want you or Mokuba traumatized by a big court battle, so I just let sleeping dogs lie and let you grow up as you would." She frowned. "I see I should have tried for custody of you anyway after what that man did to you. But, I figured you'd have forgotten me by then, so I could only sit and watch. …You're _lucky_ you tricked _this_ one into caring about you," she added, pointing at the blond.

Joey blinked. "Um… Well, Mrs…"

The old lady smiled. "Call me Granny, dearie."

"Okay… Granny…" The blond tilted his head a little, eying her skeptically. "I don't think I understand. Does that make Seto a widch, or…?"

"Oh, good heavens, no!" she laughed, waving it away. "No, his mother was a witch, but she married a human. Both Seto and Mokuba are humans, though they may be a little more magically inclined, and I'm sure if they could try hard enough, learn witchcraft."

Seto scowled. "I think I'll pass."

"Good; witchcraft doesn't want you," she retorted, glaring at him, before turning a smile back on the other boy. "Oh, Alexis used to bring them over here all the time, and we'd bake cookies and go shopping, or they'd help me in the garden, and we'd have a marvelous time!"

"Alexis? Was that his mother's name? …Could we name the baby after her?" Joey asked, looking back at the brunet. "Alexis is a beautiful name."

"He will be teased until his dying day. …So no. No we can't."

"I don't mean _this one!_ I mean the next one! I gotta have a little girl, remember?" The younger boy smiled sweetly. "We could name her Alexis."

Seto frowned. "We don't even know what the name of this baby is going to be."

"Oh, so you really _are_ his mate?" Granny asked in surprise, putting a hand over her heart. "How did you manage that, Seto?"

The brunet snorted and stood up, dusting himself off as he refused to look at her. "Yeah, very funny. I didn't manage anything; he did it all himself."

Joey huffed and placed his hands on his hips. "Well if _that's_ the thanks I get for decidin' you're not a total dick—"

"Point taken; I'm sorry, puppy."

The blond glared at him. "You're damn right you are!"

"…Well it's nice to see who's in charge," she stated, rolling her eyes, before smiling. "So you really do want to buy the house? I still have the crib your mother used for you and your brother, if you're interested; in fact, I kept a lot of your baby things! Sentimental things for a grandmother who can't see her grandchildren, you understand," she added when she noticed the raised eyebrow she was receiving from the brunet. "If you want it—"

"I want it! I want it! Or at least some of it!" Joey exclaimed, raising his arm and waving it. "I've already bought some new stuff, but I'd really like the crib! Ooh! And some clothes! And maybe—do ya have any cute pillows or anything?"

Seto sighed and leaned his head in his hand. Now that he'd started, he'd never be able to get Joey to stop. "…How long would it take you to decide what you want and what you don't want, puppy?"

"Oh, I dunno—not too long, I s'pose—"

"I'm going to go find the nearest decent coffee shop. For future reference."

The elderly woman scowled as the brunet walked out and shook her fist after him. "You're just like your human father, never seen without a cup of coffee in your hand or nearby! COFFEE KILLS!"

"…I thought it was healthy for ya in moderation," Joey stated after an awkward pause.

The woman sighed and slapped her hand to her forehead in exasperation. "What are we going to do with you, dearie?"

"I have books!" Haruki chirped, poking his head in. "See, I told you that you two would be by!"

"Thank you!" the blond replied brightly, taking the two books he was being offered. "Seto and I will take a look at them!"

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Are ya sure ya should be comin' back? You can stay a little longer if ya want," Joey offered, frowning in concern, and seemingly mindless of the little haitai playing with one of the strings on his sweatshirt.

Hati smiled sadly. "It's time I got back; I didn't even tell Sköll or Dad goodbye."

"Well it would serve them right to worry a little," the blond replied, scowling.

"You know, that's really sweet, but I figured I don't have to go home just yet. I talked to Soumya, and we decided I should stay with Kankana until he was his normal size again, especially with the haitai being added to her family."

"Yeah, I suppose that's—_eek!_" Joey froze when he found the world he'd walked into covered in darkness, as if dozens of clouds had decided to take up residence around the sun.

Hati frowned. "This looks bad. …Here, get on my back. I'll get us to Den; you'd just end up tripping and killing yourself and the haitai."

The blond climbed onto his back obediently, tucking the little fire-eating dog close to his body. "Okay. Let's go."

The wolf started at a lope, anxious to get to Den and figure out what had happened. He could tell that the blond was just as frightened as he was, though, because his free hand had a white-knuckle grip on his fur. Once he got to the entrance of Den, he saw sharp glowing eyes peering out at them, so he came to an immediate stop.

The eyes grew louder as the canine prowled out to meet them. "Hati? Is that you?"

"Amarok, what's going on?" Hati asked in concern, frowning.

"I've been led to believe it's all because of _you._ Your brother went and said something to the sun, and then all of the sudden, _poof!_ The light is gone. Occasionally the moon passes by, letting us know that it's nighttime, but the sun is AWOL."

Joey leaned forward. "What's Kankana say about it?"

He could just tell the other wolf was giving him the most deadpanned expression ever. "She says the moon can go fuck himself. He came around here asking for you or Hati, and she snarled at him. I haven't seen her actually snarl at someone and mean it for a long time. She's getting to be at her wit's end, no matter how many people offer to baby-sit for her. …She misses Soumya."

Hati and Joey shared a glance but didn't say anything.

Amarok peered at the little animal in the blond's arms in surprise. "Is that a haitai? I haven't seen a baby haitai in decades. …What were you planning on doing with it?"

Joey frowned. "…Well, I was gonna take it t' Kankana, because it's a cousin of Soumya's, but hearin' how tired she is, I don't think I wanna anymore."

The larger wolf sighed. "Alright, give it to me; I know where some haitai have been staying, and they should be able to tell whose baby it is. Joey, go give Kankana a hug. I think she needs one."

"Okay. Come on, Hati," the blond murmured, patting the red wolf's shoulder as Amarok took the pup's scruff in his jaws. "Thanks, Amarok."

"Fwelcm."

Hati's ears twisted back in thought as he prowled into the catacombs of Den. "…Why would the moon be looking for _me?_"


	19. Chapter 19

Author's Note: I realize that "Asuka" and "Fubuki" sound a lot prettier than "Alexis" and "Atticus." However, Alexis is still a pretty name, and Atticus is pretty in an 'older name' kind of way. Besides, have you seen Gregory Peck in _To Kill a Mockingbird_? He is HOT. And I'm perfectly okay with equating Atticus from Yu-Gi-Oh! into Atticus from _To Kill a Mockingbird._ Because honestly, I can't be the only one that thinks Gregory Peck is attractive. Seriously, just go to Wikipedia, type in Gregory Peck, and the page you'll get will have a picture and the first thing you'll think is "…Damn." Because he's JUST THAT ATTRACTIVE. **X3**

Me? Outrageously obsessed? _No!_ **:3** Though, on a side note, I'd like to point out that the American Film Institute acknowledged him as the greatest hero out of fifty others including Spartacus, Indiana Jones, and Han Solo. That just proves how awesome he is. (On a side note, I'd also like to point out that three of the top fifty villains are Disney characters. Just sayin'.)

Now that I've gotten my frighteningly obsessive love for Atticus Finch/Gregory Peck out of the way, let me apologize in advance for not answering your reviews to the last chapter; I figured you'd rather just have the next chapter instead. If you had questions you really needed answered, PM me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Enjoy the chapter!

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Amarok peered at the little animal in the blond's arms in surprise. "Is that a haitai? I haven't seen a baby haitai in decades. …What were you planning on doing with it?"_

_Joey frowned. "…Well, I was gonna take it t' Kankana, because it's a cousin of Soumya's, but hearin' how tired she is, I don't think I wanna anymore."_

_The larger wolf sighed. "Alright, give it to me; I know where some haitai have been staying, and they should be able to tell whose baby it is. Joey, go give Kankana a hug. I think she needs one."_

"_Okay. Come on, Hati," the blond murmured, patting the red wolf's shoulder as Amarok took the pup's scruff in his jaws. "Thanks, Amarok."_

"_Fwelcm."_

_Hati's ears twisted back in thought as he prowled into the catacombs of Den. "…Why would the moon be looking for __**me?**__"_

Chapter 19

Kankana was… very _subdued,_ to say the least. Joey shifted uncomfortably in the entrance of her personal den, then took a few steps inside. "Kankana?"

There was a long pause before she finally slid her golden eyes over to him. "…Joey."

Joey scooped up one of the pups (a male, because he had to wince when he felt something hard and sharp scrape his throat—he often forgot they had horns) and walked over to sit down beside her, tangling one of his hands in her fur as he settled the pup across his lap. "I heard you've been sorta… down lately."

"I feel lousy." She paused to glance around the cave. "I don't even remember when I came inside." She blinked as the pup whined and pawed at her. "Are you hungry? No? What do you want?" Her ears perked up as she listened to him whine further before she sighed tiredly. "Daddy isn't coming back, Pito. We'll just have to find you boys someone else to look up to." She paused as she saw Hati smile at her, then looked back at her pup. "Not him."

"Oh, come _on!_" Hati exclaimed, frowning. "I'm not that bad! And it's not as if I'm going to raise them to be gay or anything!"

"I could care less if they're gay. I just don't want them to be _pansies_ like _you._"

The wolf let out a scandalized squawk. "Ex-_cuse_ me?"

"Yeah. If I said that, I'd want them to snap at me, not go all 'stereotypical gay.'"

Hati let out another squawk. "You're so hurtful!"

Joey chuckled quietly but hurriedly stifled it when the red wolf glared at him. "Um… So how 'bout that moon?"

Kankana lifted her head and scowled at the wolf in annoyance. "He came looking for you. I'll have you know that just because I'm the Mother doesn't mean I'm also the secretary, especially if you just randomly disappear one day!"

Hati ducked his head a little at the angry tone. "…Well I didn't actually expect him to come _looking_ for me—"

"Well, that's all fine and dandy. However, he tried to get pissy with me." At the older canine's horrified expression, she stood up and nodded in agreement. "I _know._ He tried to get _pissy_ with _me._ As if I don't have enough stress!"

Joey sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, you poor little darling."

"Don't you 'poor little darling' me!" she snarled, glaring at him, before letting out huff. "Poor little darling. HAH! When have I _ever_ been a poor little darling?"

"…You were when you were a child," Hati deadpanned. "Always running around and causing trouble, then running to Mother and bawling when you got yelled at."

"Shut up! I'm older now!"

The wolf hummed and rolled his eyes but didn't comment further, instead choosing to tuck himself into a compact little bundle and stare at her.

Kankana huffed again and glared at him a moment longer before sitting down. "Anyway. Sköll had a conversation with the sun and he decided that the moon had been out of line telling you off like that, so he's teaching him a lesson by making him do the rounds alone. It's only fair, really. The moon's horses get one night a month to rest, and the sun's horses get about—what? A minute? Every once in a while?—So they're getting a long-needed rest and the moon's working overtime. So—"

"The sun is here," Amarok stated, poking his head in momentarily. "He looks very… happy."

"I SWEAR TO SIRIUS he better not be here for me," Kankana growled, then huffed and flopped onto her side rebelliously.

"Oh, swearing to Sirius. Someone's in a bad mood." The wolf rolled his eyes then turned his attention to Hati. "He's here for you. And I don't like playing doorman or secretary, so this 'where's Hati' business better end soon. You are not a strange looking man in a striped sweater."

Joey snorted at the 'where's Waldo' reference, then stood, deciding he didn't want to miss this. …And he wouldn't mind seeing what the sun looked like, either.

Well, the sun seemed to be back—at least it wasn't as dark out, and—

EVERY HUMANOID PERSON IN MYTHAVEN WAS HOT.

The sun was no exception, even though he'd really expected someone lighter in color and brighter appearance.

The man was tall—taller than even Seto—and had long black hair tied back neatly out of his dark face. His eyes were golden-brown, clear, and intelligent, set into a long, angular face. He had a nice-looking goatee, too. Joey had never been a fan of facial hair (his father had turned him off from it, really, with his bastardiness), but that goatee looked too good on him to hate it. His clothes were black, but stitched together with a red, silken thread. However, any intimidation he may have felt died when he saw the big, friendly, happy grin on the man's face.

"Hati! Long time no see! What was it—the last stellar eclipse you ran? That was a while ago; you missed this month."

Hati wiggled like a happy puppy. "Yeah, sorry about that, Shourin. I just needed some time to myself." He blinked when the blond next to him cleared his throat, then sighed and rolled his eyes. "This is Joey. He's the new Golden One."

The sun—Shourin, apparently—immediately held his hand out to shake. "A pleasure. I would have sent a card of congratulations, but until my son is old enough to handle the horses himself, I've got my hands full with the chariot and the family."

Joey couldn't help a smile of his own; the man's upbeat personality was infectious. "That's okay. I'm just glad nothing bad happened to you. I mean, we just showed up here, and…" He waved vaguely. "It was all dark."

"Oh, it's still dark," Shourin explained, still smiling. "It just seems bright because I'm standing here. The light of the sun just seems to rub off on me sometimes."

"Oh. Sooo… is the moon as pissy as you are happy?" the blond asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

The man frowned. "Aysun is much more subdued and has much more trouble being in tune with his emotions. Plus, he's been a bachelor for centuries; he's afraid that if he couples with someone, he's stuck with that one person for the rest of his life, as if people don't peacefully separate these days. He hasn't realized that Hati's been the apple of his eye for quite some time."

Hati scowled. "I know you're trying to make me feel better, but you could at least tell a decent lie! Or at least one not so hurtful!"

Shourin raised an eyebrow as he rested his hands on his hips. "Please, Hati. You've been panting after him for so long that you didn't even notice that he treats you differently."

"Differently from what? And I have not been _panting_ after him, I've just sort of… been breathing hard." The wolf's ears curled back in embarrassment. "Totally not panting."

"…Tell yourself whatever you need to if it makes you feel better," the man deadpanned, scowling. "Did you even notice when he stopped ignoring you all those centuries ago? When he turned around and had a conversation with you? When he offered you what was left of his lunch?" He sighed in frustration. "Or is it a canine thing that you're all stupid and oblivious?"

Before the wolf could get offended and begin snarling, Joey replied, "It's a canine thing."

Hati gasped and looked up at him in a scandalized manner. "_Joey!_ Talking about yourself like that—and insulting me in the process!"

"…No, seriously, we're kinda slow," the blond repeated, frowning at him. "I think Tlipo and Nenne are—were—the only really smart ones. I mean, how long did Soumya hafta pursue her until Kankana realized he liked her?" Joey sighed and scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "I think we're all kind of stupid when it comes t' romantic relationships; we're oblivious, and when we're not, we're too afraid t' take a step forward t' begin any relationships. Other people hafta start them for us. I mean, ya probably would've just kept chasin' him without a word if he hadn't talked to ya, right?"

The red-haired wolf looked down at the ground and scuffed his paw against his absently. "…Maybe…"

"Yeah, we're loyal as hell, and that's pretty awesome, but we're still full of fail."

"Full of fail-? You know what, never mind. Teenagers today are not _worth _understanding," Shourin sighed, rolling his eyes, before reaching out to ruffle Hati's ears. "Well, I'm glad to see you're okay. I was worried when Sköll came by and told us that they didn't know where you were. But, since you're okay, I better get home; you know how Claire gets when I'm not home in time for dinner."

Joey smiled as he was offered his hand again and shook it. "It was really nice t' meet ya. I'm glad you're lookin' out for Hati."

"Well, he needs looking after," the man replied, then ruffled the wolf's ears again before he raised his right hand and moved his fingers to snap. He paused momentarily, eyebrow rising as he glanced upward. "…Well, blow me over with a feather. If I'm not mistaken, Golden One, you'll get to meet Aysun soon as well. Good luck with that."

"You can call me 'Joey!'" the blond called out as he snapped, disappearing with a faint 'pop.'

Hati frowned and tilted his head as he looked up at him. "What'd he mean about meeting Aysun soon?"

The human turned toward him and frowned, placing his hands on his hips, deciding to completely ignore the question because he had no idea of the answer. "You know, it would have been nice to have names earlier. I just kept thinking of them as 'Mr. Sun' and 'Mr. Moon.'"

"…You never asked for names," the wolf mumbled, glancing away in embarrassment. "…Okay, maybe we _are_ kind of slow. …And maybe we have a _little_ fail in us."

"You don't say," Joey replied, smiling a little, only to jump a little as he heard another pop.

This man didn't look nearly as kind as Shourin. His silvery-white hair was long and was loose, falling down his back in a curtain with what looked like small diamonds tied into various strands. His cold gray eyes were sharp and set into a face with high cheekbones. His skin was pale—at least, whatever skin wasn't covered by silvery silk. Whereas Shourin had worn baggy pants and a plain long-sleeved shirt, Aysun was wearing a short silver robe over his black pants, the sash a soft, glimmering yellow-gold color that he realized the moon was colored on some nights. His mouth was set in a thin line, and his brow was furrowed in annoyance.

Joey frowned and took a step closer to the frozen wolf anxiously; he hadn't realized how scary the moon could be. "Um… hello."

"Hello," the older man replied, nodding at him, before turning his gaze back to Hati. "Hati."

"Um… hi!" Hati exclaimed cheerfully, though the blond could tell he was fighting the urge to tuck his tail and run for him; after all, if he ran off, he'd be leaving Joey alone with this… scary… person. "Long time no see!"

"I should say so." Aysun's voice was cold, but not necessarily angry. Sort of like Seto's used to be. "I haven't seen you for quite some time. What _have_ you been doing?"

The red-furred wolf pawed the ground and turned his head away. "…Just… hanging out… helping Joey…"

Aysun snorted. "I see. So instead of doing your _job,_ you've been messing around."

"W-well… You see, I—" Hati began, frowning, but cut himself off when he felt a fiery, angry aura growing beside him. He turned and looked up at the blond in confusion, then winced and quickly took a couple steps away. "I'll just… be over here…"

The silver-haired man raised an eyebrow in confusion but immediately took a step back to keep from falling as a fist met his cheek. "Ow!"

"'Ow? _Ow?_' I'll show ya _'ow!_'" Joey snarled, hands still balled into fists. "Sayin' Hati's a nuisance—callin' him a pain-in-the-ass puppy—I'll show _you_ a pain in the ass puppy, ya jerk—"

"Wait, wait-! Stop it! Don't make me hurt you! You've got a baby!" Aysun exclaimed, trying to protect his face with his arms. "Ack!"

"Stupid—jerk—bastard—asshole!" the blond growled, hitting him with every intent to bring him down as if he was fighting a mortal enemy.

Hati frowned and pawed at his hip. "Now, now, we still need him alive."

"Idiot moron jerk bastard idiot idiot idiot ARGH!" Joey hit him a few more times before his legs buckled and he hit the ground on his knees, panting.

"…Do you feel better?" the wolf asked after a moment, still frowning. When the blond sighed and nodded a little, he couldn't help a smile. "Fantastic! I'm sure that's just been _waiting_ to get out!"

Aysun waited a few more moments before finally letting his arms down from protecting his head. Once certain that the blond wouldn't lunge at him again, he frowned. "That was uncalled for."

"I'll kill ya!" Joey roared, lifting his fists again, only to mewl helplessly when the man grabbed his wrists and forced him to stop. He struggled for a few seconds before sagging in defeat, mumbling, "…Well, if I _weren't_ pregnant I'd kill ya."

"I'm sure you would," he assured, patting him on the head. "You're a force to behold when you're angry."

"You're damn right!"

"Um… Maybe… you should go home," Hati murmured, frowning. "We don't want you to hurt the baby, after all."

Joey huffed. "No! I wanna make sure this jerk doesn't hurt ya anymore!"

Aysun sighed, then knelt in front of him as he forced the blond to meet his gaze. "I give you my word that I have no intention of hurting Hati. I've… missed him." His expression took on an uncertain frown as he turned his eyes to the wolf blinking at him in confusion as he still addressed the prone blond. "That is, I realized how much he… means to me. And I'd really… appreciate… No, I'd really _like_ it, if Hati were to give me a second chance to try and make up for my callousness. Let me… apologize and try to earn back his affections."

Hati blinked at him for a moment, still confused, before his face spread into a hopeful smile. "Oh, I'd really like that. Just… just promise you won't call me bad things anymore or hurt me on purpose," he stated quietly, smile fading as his voice grew softer. "You really hurt my feelings, Aysun."

"I'll do my best," the man promised, smiling a little.

Joey raised an eyebrow, frowning, as he glanced between them, then couldn't help a smile of his own when Hati began wiggling like an excited puppy. "God, Hati, if you get too excited you might just pee yourself."

"Hey! Have more faith in my control over my own bladder, thank you!" the wolf huffed, scowling at him, then began wiggling again, unable to be angry for too long now that he was so happy. "Aysun, do you think we could—_ack!_"

The two men let out squawks of surprise as the wolf (still relatively large in terms of regular wolves) was easily plucked off the ground by his scruff and carried away, struggling frantically. As they saw who had caught his scruff, however, they were quite glad that that was all he'd done; Fenrir did _not_ look happy.

Sköll danced on his paws happily as he followed his father, grinning at them in a decidedly evil manner as the larger wolf and his brother disappeared in an explosion of red flames. "Ooh, Daddy's mad at _yooou_ moony! You'll be lucky if you see Hati in the next _year_ he hates you so hard! And you know what? It serves you right for hurting my beloved Ha-Ha's feelings!"

Aysun paused, then slowly replied, "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that Hati was your mother."

The black wolf froze, confused, before his face contorted into a horrified expression. "I've been calling him my _mother?_ No wonder people laugh! _Hati!_"

Joey blinked as he watched him chase after his parent and sibling, disappearing in a small burst of flames, then looked up at the moon and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I guess you're not that bad."

"…Thank you," Aysun sighed, rolling his eyes, before he stood up and offered him his hand to help him up. "It's probably best if you go home now, Golden One. You wouldn't want to worry your mate, and I'm sure it's getting late." He glanced upward. "…I'm finding it hard to tell what time it is myself these days. …Nights. Whatever time it is right now."

The blond smiled and agreed, "Nah, probably not." He paused, then scowled at him. "But if ya hurt Hati again, I swear, I'll tear ya t' pieces."

"Honestly, I'm more afraid of what Sköll and Fenrir will do."

"…Well, that too."

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto purred as he felt his mate crawl onto his lap and let his eyes flutter open slowly; he'd tried to read in order to wait up for his mate, but obviously, he'd failed. "Puppy…"

Joey nuzzled his throat lovingly, pressing gentle, fluttering kisses against it, then slid his arms around his waist and mewed. "You'll never guess what happened t'day, Seto…" He sighed contentedly. "But you'll hafta guess tomorrow, 'cause I'm too tired right now."

"Alright," the brunet murmured, then helped him lay down properly and curled up against him. "Love you, puppy."

"Love you too, dragon," the younger boy whispered, pressing another kiss to his neck, before snuggling up to him to fall asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

Author's Note: I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON! I'm sorry. **:( **This is a longer chapter, though. And sorry that I didn't answer reviews. SORRY.

Edit (07-13-10): FAIL! I forgot the footnote. I'm sorry. -_-

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Seto purred as he felt his mate crawl onto his lap and let his eyes flutter open slowly; he'd tried to read in order to wait up for his mate, but obviously, he'd failed. "Puppy…"_

_Joey nuzzled his throat lovingly, pressing gentle, fluttering kisses against it, then slid his arms around his waist and mewed. "You'll never guess what happened t'day, Seto…" He sighed contentedly. "But you'll hafta guess tomorrow, 'cause I'm too tired right now."_

"_Alright," the brunet murmured, then helped him lay down properly and curled up against him. "Love you, puppy."_

"_Love you too, dragon," the younger boy whispered, pressing another kiss to his neck, before snuggling up to him to fall asleep._

Chapter 20

Seto sat up quickly with a snarl, then began clawing at the blankets, trying to escape. Once he realized he was in bed, however, and not being smothered by a black, viscous liquid, he covered his face and heaved a shaky sigh. Feeling a timid hand on his shoulder, he turned his head, peering at his concerned mate tiredly. "…I think I've been reading too much about Nasaulea—the witch that cursed Akuju?" When the blond nodded, urging him to continue, he sighed. "She was… sealed… years ago. So many witches were tired of her giving them a bad name that they sealed her away into a wax figurine and locked the figurine up with tons of wards. Some younger witches decided that to get rid of her for good, they'd just melt the figurine. But… the melted wax slithered away like a snake."

"And that was what attacked ya, huh?" Joey wriggled up against his side and slid his arms around the brunet's waist, nuzzling his shoulder lovingly. "I'm sorry that happened t' ya, dragon. Is there anything to stop her? …It?"

The dragon master turned and pulled the other boy closer, nuzzling into his mop of hair and letting out another shaky sigh. "I don't know. I haven't found anything. God, she made me hurt you…"

"But she's in Mythaven now. She can't get ya again if you're here." The blond gave him a comforting squeeze. "Didja find out some way of gettin' rid of her for good?"

Seto groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "I think that if there were a way to destroy her completely, the witches would have done it by now. Besides, this isn't like _The Wizard of Oz._ Witches don't just _melt_ when you throw water on them; at least, not anymore."

"Hmm." Joey frowned and leaned his head against the brunet's chest. "…If she's in Mythaven, could _I_ do somethin' about her?"

The older boy placed a hand on the blond's swollen belly and growled. "Not until you have this baby."

"But I still have two more months!" he moaned, then sighed in defeat at the stern glare he was given. "Okay. …'s more like a month and a half anyway…"

"Make it two. You'll need time to recover." Seto leaned down to nuzzle his stomach and began to purr. "You're having our baby, puppy. Even women need time to recover from that, and you're not _meant_ to carry children."

Joey sighed in frustration. "And I need t' do this again for a girl?"

"There _are_ parts of pregnancy that you enjoy, aren't there?"

The blond blushed and scratched the back of his head. "…I like when ya kiss my tummy and talk t' the baby."

"Mm, then I'll kiss your tummy and talk to the baby from day one. Besides, you look so pretty when you're pregnant… so curvy… I could eat you up." Seto's purr grew louder as he felt his mate's fingers begin combing through his hair. "I love you. I love you more than life itself."

"Seto…" Joey bit his bottom lip in embarrassment only to mewl as the brunet pushed him onto his back and took some time to show him how much he loved him.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Your grandmother."

Seto paused with his fork of pancake halfway in his mouth. After a moment, he set his fork down and frowned. "I may be socially inept, but I believe the term is 'your mom.'"

"No! I mean, what if you talked to your grandmother?" Joey rolled his eyes.

The brunet tilted his head thoughtfully. "…What would I tell her?"

"That some crazy psycho witch named Nausea—"

"Nasaulea."

"—Nasaulea is in Mythaven and is a total threat to anyone that she's near, and we need some way of getting rid of her. She's old enough! She should know this stuff, right?" the blond asked, smiling brightly. "Come on, it wouldn't hurt t' ask!"

"…I suppose it wouldn't hurt, no," the brunet admitted. "I'll try to talk to her today. _You,_ on the other hand, have graduation practice at nine, so you better finish eating and get ready." Shoving the rest of his pancakes in his mouth, he waited a few minutes before adding, "I need to go wake Mokuba."

Joey rolled his eyes, then turned and roared, "MOKUBA YOUR BREAKFAST IS GETTING COLD!"

Seto could only stare at him until he heard the slap of bare feet against the wood floor, and then suddenly his brother came skidding into the room. "…I get no respect."

"You get tons of respect, sweetie," the blond cooed, patting his cheek. "And just think! When we move into the new house, we won't hafta scream all the time!"

"…Yeah," the older boy sighed, leaning his chin on his hand. "Sure."

.-.-.-.-.-.

"You know what would be funny? If you went into labor while you were getting your diploma," Tristan stated, only to get a punch in the back of the head. "Ow!"

"Ya know what I was thinkin' _wouldn't_ be funny? If I went into labor while I was gettin' my diploma." He gave his friend a glare. "In fact, it would be so _not_ funny, I may just _hold your hand_ t' get through the pain," he added, making a fist.

The brunet flinched at the thought of his friend crushing his hand. "I was just kidding you know?"

Yugi, ever the peacekeeper, shoved an apple in his mouth. "You've still got about a month either way, so stop worrying about it."

Joey sighed and took a bite of the apple. "Thanks, Yug'. So… I think I've decided on a name for the baby, and I wanna get your opinion on it before I bring it up with Seto. Okay?" When his friends were skeptical, he sighed. "It's not that bad."

"You named your goldfish 'Fish,'" Ryou pointed out, frowning.

"Well I'm not namin' my kid _'Kid!'_" he exclaimed defensively.

Téa sighed and sat back in her seat. "Well, I'd like to hear it, if no one else will."

Joey sniffed indignantly. "_Thank_ you, Téa. _You_ can be the first one to see him."

She squealed in delight. "I love babies!"

Yugi looked hurt. "But Joey, what about me?"

"…Fine, you can come in with Téa. EVERYONE ELSE SUCKS," he stated, glaring at Tristan, Ryou, and Duke.

"…Well? Are you going to tell us the name you picked out or not?" she asked impatiently.

Joey huffed, then sighed and sat back, taking another bite of his apple. "I'm thinking 'Atticus.'" When he only received a blank stare for this tidbit of information, he frowned. "What? It has character."

"…Atticus? Where did you get _that_ name?" Duke asked after a moment. "_Atticus?_"

"Well, funny you should ask. See, I was bored the other day, so I was lookin' through the movies that Seto has in his room, and there was one called 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' And the main character's dad was called Atticus. And I realized… Atticus is hot. In a nerdy, lawyer kind of way, anyway. But anyway, I looked up his actor—Gregory Peck—and when he was younger, he was _really_ hot!"

Tristan frowned. "…So… why not call him Gregory…?"

Joey shrugged and began picking at the peel of his apple. "Gregory doesn't sound as… _distinguished_ as Atticus. And he's coming from a well-to-do family… Well, a sort of well-to-do family, anyway. After all, Kaiba's got a lot of money and he's got a hell of a reputation." He frowned a little, then shrugged again. "Well, we'll see what Seto says. I might call him Atty."

"Atty. That's sort of cute," Téa commented, closing her eyes as her brows furrowed together in thought. "I like it. So how do you—"

"Wait." Ryou held a hand up and closed his eyes as well, though more in concentration. After a moment, he opened his eyes again as his brows furrowed into a suspicious and annoyed expression. "…We left Bakura and Yami playing a game of Duel Monsters. Has anyone else noticed how suspiciously quiet it is?"

Yugi frowned as well. "…That's true…"

Any sense of peace they had was suddenly destroyed as an explosion rocked the house that seemed to emanate from the kitchen. There was deafening silence for all of fifteen seconds afterward, before there was an eruption of angry curses—some in Ancient Egyptian, others in Japanese, and still others that they had no idea how the two former spirits knew them.

Yugi turned to look at the door, horrified, before his expression melted into one of utter and complete fury. "YAMI, EVERYTHING BETTER BE IN ONE PIECE WHEN I WALK IN THERE!"

Abruptly, there was silence.

Ryou was on his feet in an instant and stomping for the door. "Bakura, I swear—It's one thing to do this at our _own_ home, but doing it in someone else's—"

Joey sighed. Sometimes Seto missed out on the most hilarious events. Well, at least he could tell him about something stupid that Yami had done.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Nasaulea? I haven't heard that name in quite some time."

Seto watched his grandmother (he was still having trouble grasping the fact that he still _had_ a grandmother, and a witch besides) take a sip of tea, then looked down into his own cup. "Listen, Mrs. Rhodes…"

The old woman huffed. "I told you and your mate to call me Granny!"

"Do you know how hard it is for me to accept that?" the brunet snarled at her, fingers letting off a crackle of sparks, before he forced himself to calm down again. He looked back down at his tea sullenly. "…I spent too much time trying to forget we'd ever _had_ family for me to just accept you back. I know it wasn't your fault, and it's unfair to you, but I just can't…"

"I understand," she sighed, though she looked very put out about it. "You haven't had very many _good_ role models, after all."

Seto carefully kept his eyes on his tea as his face momentarily twisting into a mask of hatred before he forced it into basic resentment. "…I don't remember any, really. I just remember an old house with roses out front painted sea foam green. I don't even remember what we did when we were with you."

"We baked cookies. …Well, _I_ baked cookies, and then you and Mokuba licked the bowl."

The brunet grimaced. "Was I bad cook even back then?"

His grandmother pursed her lips thoughtfully. "…Well, I _did_ have to replace some bowls, but I like to think that was just a child's clumsiness. Why? Have you had some kitchen mishaps?"

Seto did not mention that he'd had to rebuild his kitchen twice before he'd taken the hint and just eaten fast food or TV dinners. He just shrugged. "Here and there."

"…I see." She tilted her head, then sighed and reached out to place her cool hand on top of his. "I have to admit; none of us have figured out a way to stop her. …Then again…" She paused and brought her hand to her chin thoughtfully. "…The reason she was so powerful was because of a pact she made with the spirit of a long dead witch that practiced Dark Magic. Perhaps… Have Joey speak with _Garmr [1]._ Garmr may have more knowledge."

The brunet frowned. "Garmr?"

"He's from Norse mythology. Look him up. Just remember that he's actually a she, though, no matter what poets or history books may tell you."

Seto eyed her skeptically, but he supposed he shouldn't ask; after all, _his_ mate was a man and giving birth, so why couldn't historians be wrong and Garmr be female?

…Shit.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Joey frowned and tilted his head. "Garmr…?"

"The name threw me a bit, too. Apparently she's Norse," the brunet replied, then knelt and placed a kiss on the younger boy's stomach.

The blond giggled a little before reaching out and stroking his dragon's hair from his eyes. "You're such a softy. But what brings up the subject of Garmr, or whatever?"

"…My grandmother said we should speak with her to find out more about Nasaulea." Seto hummed and leaned his head into his mate's hand. "How was your day…?"

"Ya missed it. Yami and Bakura blew up the microwave." Joey giggled at the memory. "Apparently, they put a few canned soups into it at its highest settin'. Yugi and Ryou were fit t' be tied!"

The brunet chuckled as well. "At least _I_ know not to put metal in the microwave. Unless it's one of those old, convention ones, anyway." He frowned. "But you still wouldn't want to do that without an oven mitt."

The younger boy blinked at him in surprise, then decided he didn't really want to know why his lover knew that particular fact. "Anyway, I think I've decided on a name for the baby—or at least one to think about."

Seto hummed again and leaned his head on the blond's thigh. "Mm? I don't really care what the name is as long as it's not named after one of your friends or something stupid. Especially not Marley."

"Oh, it's not, don't worry—What's wrong with the name Marley?" The blond frowned.

"Because that was the name of Scrooge's dead partner. I'm enough of a Scrooge without the creepiness of a child named Marley. We'd scare the populace."

Joey couldn't help giggling at that. "Oh, I see. Well, what do you think of the name 'Atticus?'"

"I think of an extremely handsome American actor with well-defined eyebrows." Seto leaned back and raised an eyebrow. "Were you snooping through my 'favorite movie' shelf? I don't recall you saying that you liked American movies based on American books and performed in English."

"Hey, I'm from New York. English was my first language and I can still speak it very well," the blond stated huffily. "His name was Gregory, anyway. Are you saying you'd rather call the baby Gregory?"

The brunet frowned in thought. "Well, no. I know we'd eventually have to call him 'Greg,' and for some reason, the name 'Greg' just makes me think of nuts. And not a certain kind of nut, just… nuts in general."

"…Nuts?" Joey had to giggle again. "You're so weird, dragon. But ya never said what ya think of the other name."

"I suppose that's not a bad name. Personally, I don't care what you name him. You've named our future daughter after my mother and I'm happy with that." Seto smiled at him sweetly. "Anything to make you happy, puppy."

The blond smiled gleefully. "You're such a big softy! Sometimes I wish I could tape this and show it t' my friends so they'd know you're not a complete psycho."

"…Your friends think I'm a psycho?"

Joey was saved having to answer by the doorbell. "I better go answer that!"

"No, just stay here. I'll go get it," Seto assured, patting his thigh as he stood up. "Don't stress yourself out."

The younger boy sighed and rolled his eyes but didn't argue; he knew his lover was just protective, but seriously! He wasn't going to break if he got up to answer a door! "Okay." He frowned as he heard a surprised squawk and turned his head. "Seto?"

"…I'm okay."

That wasn't entirely reassuring. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, we just… have a surprise guest."

Before Joey had a chance to ask what he was talking about, a large, reddish dog came struggling in—about the size of a horse, actually, and looking impatient. It marched right into the living room as if it owned the place, then sat down on the other side of the table. It eyed him for a second, then opened its mouth, voice clearly indicating that _it_ was, in fact, a _she_. "I see that you've replaced the former Golden One."

"Um… Yes. My name's Joey. Are—"

"Let me get straight to the point," she stated, dipping her head so she was at eye-level with him. "My name is Garmr. I hear you've been advised to speak with me."

Joey flinched a little in confusion. "But—Seto just told me a few minutes ago—"

"I have sources everywhere. _EVERYWHERE._" She paused. "…That, and I'm a mother. I know everything."

The blond didn't know much about mothers, but it was general knowledge that _yes,_ mothers knew everything and _yes,_ they would act upon that insight. "Oh."

"So, what would you—"

"Do you know Hati, Sköll, and Fenrir?" Joey cut in, frowning. "Because ya look an _awful_ lot like Hati—"

Garmr rolled her eyes in frustration. "_Yes,_ I know them, because I'm Sköll and Hati's mother. Now—"

The blond squinted at her skeptically. "Wouldn't that make you Fenrir's mate then?"

"Technically, no, because dogs aren't always seen as monogamous creatures, but I don't see how that has any bearing on what I've been informed you're going to ask me," she stated, glaring at him. "So just ask me your questions and—"

"Well if ya already know what I'm gonna ask ya, why don't ya just tell me?"

"I WILL EAT YOU."

Seto decided it was time for him to intervene. Sitting down beside his mate, he sent the large, red-furred dog a glare. "Perhaps we should all calm down."

"Shut up! This is between me an' her!" Joey snarled, glaring at him. Turning back to the offended dog, he scowled. "Kankana is _Soumya's_ mate, and _she's_ a dog. Why can't _you_ be Fenrir's mate then?"

She snarled angrily. "That is really none of your business, and—"

"It's because he was an asshole about Hati and his gayness, isn't it?" the blond cut in. "He was all 'nooo anti-gay!' And you got pissed 'cause he was insultin' your little baby and left t' teach him a lesson!"

Garmr stood up and growled, hackles rising dangerously. "I'll have you know that _Sköll_ is the baby of the family! And _no,_ I didn't leave because of his obvious homophobia!"

"Then why didja leave?" Joey snapped. "Sköll and Hati never talk about ya! And Fenrir has never mentioned ya! So tell me, or I'll go ask them, and Hati will get all weepy and Sköll will become a _giant_ bag of angst—"

"Because I couldn't stand being around dead people all the time!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "Why do you think I'm in your world instead of Mythaven? When people die here, they stay dead! …_Usually,_" she added darkly.

Seto got the distinct impression that she was speaking about certain spirits sealed inside certain tacky jewelry. "I see." He turned toward his mate and frowned. "What brought all this on? …It's your motherly instincts attacking, isn't it?"

"Shut up or I'll kill you," the blond hissed, glaring on him, before turning back to the giant dog with a huff. "Well, whatever—I still think Hati could use your help right now."

"Why?" Garmr narrowed her eyes. "Has that moronic moon done something to him? He _has,_ hasn't he? I swear, if he's hurt my little buggy-boo, I'll—" She paused, then took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. "…But that's not what you want to know."

Seto clapped his hand over the blond's mouth before he could rile her up again. "I was told to ask you about Nasaulea."

The canine's face twisted into a snarl. "_Nasaulea._"

Joey flinched at the hatred in her voice. "Are you okay?"

Garmr got to her feet and began to pace, hackles rising as she moved. "That damn human _bitch._ If I'd known what she was going to do—Make a deal with that damn witch—I would have torn her apart the moment I first saw her—"

"I would appreciate having your anger explained in a more articulate manner," Seto stated, and was rewarded with a dark, nasty glare. "Or not."

She took a few deep breaths before sitting down again, shoulders sagging in defeat. "That's the real reason I left—though I was telling the truth about all the death. I just loved my family so much that I ignored it." Her ears folded back as she winced. "No, the real reason I left was because I thought Fenrir might kill me if he found out I'd accidentally let loose the magic of one of the most evil Dark Magic users of all time." Garmr heaved a sigh as her face twisted into a grimace. "Nasaulea wasn't always that strong. I let her in to speak with one of the damned souls—a witch that was a Mistress of Dark Magic.

"I didn't realize what she was doing until it was too late. Nasaulea had drained all of the magic out of the room—both mine and the witch's—and then she ran. I heard she got sealed, but not completely." Garmr's lip curled up in disgust. "Last I heard she was slithering around."

Joey frowned as he felt his mate shudder at the mention of the witch's slithering form, then reached out to grab his hands. "…How was the witch she stole the magic from sealed?"

"…Water." She frowned in thought. "…Yes. Water. She wore striped socks and ruby slippers."

Seto stared at her for a moment before snarling, "NO FUCKING WAY."

.-.-.-.-.-.

"—So we basically have to find a way to dump water on the snake?" Joey frowned.

Seto sighed and leaned backward so he was strewn across most of the couch, his head on the blond's lap; once they'd calmed him down from his rant about literature finding its way into Mythaven, he was pretty much open to anything. "That might work. But, then again, it might not; Nasaulea has _combined_ her magic with… What did Garmr say her name was?"

The younger boy sighed, then smiled a little and supplied, "Dracea."

"_Dracea._ Nasaulea combined her magic with _Dracea's_ and so just plain water might not work." The brunet growled; this whole 'oh, yeah, the Wicked Witch of the West is in Mythaven too' thing still rankled him.

"What about holy water?" Joey winced as the brunet let out a frustrated rumble. "Okay, okay, so we know that we can seal Nasaulea away. We _also_ know that Dracea was defeated by water. So… if we maybe seal her with some sort of water magic spell…?"

Seto scowled. "You know what? _I don't care._ I just want to eat something, snuggle up in bed with you, and read a book. That's all I want to do right now. Damn _witches_ and their damn _magic._"

The blond couldn't help a giggle and hurriedly soothed any more annoyance he might have caused by stroking the older boy's hair. "Oh, Seto. Don't worry. We'll take care of this, okay?"

The Dragon Master grumbled before turning onto his side and lovingly nuzzling his mate's stomach. "Let's just order out for food. I'm too comfortable to let you up to cook. …We should sleep down here, too."

"You'll hafta sit up t' eat, Seto. …Or did ya want me t' feed ya?" Joey asked, smiling a little. When the brunet hummed and tilted his head thoughtfully, he snorted and slapped his shoulder. "You're such a psycho sometimes, Seto."

"—That reminds me. Your friends think I'm psycho?" Seto looked up at him expectantly.

The blond hurriedly reached for the phone. "Ya know, I was thinkin' maybe Italian—"

"Because they _should,_" the CEO stated, growling.

He really wanted to laugh, but all Joey could do was shiver at the tone his lover had used. Sometimes, Seto could be _totally_ creepy.

* * *

[1] Garmr, or Garm, but I figured since there was already one R in there we should just throw in another. **:**D Also in Norse mythology. Its howl is the signal of the beginning of Ragnarok, which is basically the apocalypse. In the poem, Garmr is referred to as he, but for my intents and purposes, he's a she. Hati and Sköll need a mother. :P


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Notes: I won't lie. This one's kind of dialogue-heavy. However, I think it fits, considering Joey's nearing the size of a cow and can't move very fast. It's made up for in the end, though, I think, even though you'll all want to kill me. "I WAIT FOR-FREAKIN'-EVER FOR THIS CHAPTER AND _THIS_ IS WHAT SHE GIVES ME?" …Or something along those lines will be going through your heads.

Also… scenes from the manga are mentioned. Just sayin'.

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_The Dragon Master grumbled before turning onto his side and lovingly nuzzling his mate's stomach. "Let's just order out for food. I'm too comfortable to let you up to cook. …We should sleep down here, too."_

"_You'll hafta sit up t' eat, Seto. …Or did ya want me t' feed ya?" Joey asked, smiling a little. When the brunet hummed and tilted his head thoughtfully, he snorted and slapped his shoulder. "You're such a psycho sometimes, Seto."_

"—_That reminds me. Your friends think I'm psycho?" Seto looked up at him expectantly._

_The blond hurriedly reached for the phone. "Ya know, I was thinkin' maybe Italian—"_

"_Because they __**should,**__" the CEO stated, growling._

_He really wanted to laugh, but all Joey could do was shiver at the tone his lover had used. Sometimes, Seto could be __**totally**__ creepy._

Chapter 21

"Water. Water. _Water._" Seto glared at his sandwich and let out a quiet growl. "What could we possibly use that involves _water?_"

"Seto, stop worrying about Nausea for a minute—"

"Nasaulea."

"—And eat your damn sandwich," Joey ordered, scowling at him. "Honestly. I know that the sooner we defeat her, we'll all be happy, but you have to _eat_ to be able to keep _thinking._"

Mokuba glanced between them in confusion as his brother began to grumble and shoved his sandwich in his mouth, then looked back toward the blond. "What are you guys talking about?"

"The slimy thing made your brother a perverted bastard." The blond sighed and poked at his own sandwich, brows furrowing together in frustration. "We know that it's weak to water, because of the Wicked Witch of the West—"

The younger boy opened his mouth to interrupt, then thought better of it.

"—But we have no idea what to do when obviously water won't do it alone."

Mokuba frowned. "Witches?"

"Yes. She's a witch that's stolen someone else's power along with her own," Joey clarified, then sighed and took a bite of his sandwich. "I just dunno what t' do."

"…Have you ever thought about what people used to _do_ to witches, back in the Middle Ages?" the younger boy deadpanned. When the two teens merely blinked at him, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "What happened when the people suspected someone was a witch?"

"…They threw her in the river to see if she floated," Seto stated after a moment, still puzzled.

"And what _else_ did they do?" Mokuba waited for one of them to answer. When they just continued to stare at him, however, he once again rolled his eyes in frustration. "They burned them at the _stake,_ you idiots!"

"Oh." Joey blinked, then turned to his lover in confusion. "Why didn't _you_ think of that?"

The brunet scowled at him. "Do you think my studies really included that sort of thing? The studies Gozaburo had me focus on?"

"…Well, no…"

"Exactly. Now tell me how we're supposed to get fire and water together when they can't exist together at the same place at the same time," Seto ordered, then sighed and slammed his head onto the table.

The blond gasped. "_Seto!_"

"I'm fine. My skull is surprisingly sturdy."

"I don't care how fuckin' sturdy your skull is! Stop hurtin' yourself when you're frustrated!" Joey exclaimed angrily. "Gawd! If ya turn yourself into a vegetable, I'm not fuckin' ya!"

"I'm finished!" Mokuba exclaimed quickly, shoving his plate away. "I still have to finish packing!"

"Make sure to separate which boxes you want at the house and which ones you want in storage!" Seto called after him, sitting up straight. Then, he leaned in to peck his mate's cheek, despite the angry pout on his face. "Are you ready to move into a new home, puppy?"

The blond tried to stay angry at him, but with the mention of their new house—repainted and with rosebushes replacing the tulips, now—he couldn't help but be happy. "We won't hafta yell t' hear each other, an' I still get a big kitchen, an' ya bought me so many new baking things! I'm so excited! I may just bake our neighbors some cookies instead of the other way around!" he squeaked, hopping onto the older boy's lap. "God, I could cry I'm so happy!"

"Please don't. Even if you're happy, I don't like to see you cry," the brunet whispered, kissing lightly along his chin before finally nuzzling his throat. "Just think, puppy. After your graduation tomorrow, we'll be going to our new home, where we'll raise our new family. I'm excited. Are you?"

"So excited I might burst! …But I will not because this baby isn't s'posed t' come out yet." Joey smiled when his lover snorted, then frowned when he heard an unfamiliar squeaking noise.

Turning, the two humans could only stare as they saw Joy hover in the doorway, squeaking encouragingly. Then, two little yellow things came fluttering into view, hovering as well as they could but still flailing all over the place and squeaking at the exertion. Codi followed a moment later, trying to nudge them into a straight line, but the tiny kits were unable to fly that well yet, so the two parents led them away.

There was silence for a few minutes until the blond let out a delighted shriek. "THEY WERE SO. _CUTE!_"

"Petit Dragons grow much faster than regular dragons, because they're so small. I just didn't know they'd hatch that soon." Seto frowned.

Joey tilted his head and frowned as well. "When did they even hatch? One day, Joy and Codi were just squeakin' at us from the counter, and then the next, they just disappeared."

"I think they hid out in a cupboard or something." The brunet's brows furrowed together in thought. "…I cannot even imagine. Let's just leave that as a mystery that neither of us will ever grasp."

"…_Mwee!_" The younger boy squealed and squirmed on the brunet's lap. "They were so cute Seto ohmyGod!"

"I know, puppy. I saw them, too." Seto rolled his eyes when the blond continued to squirm excitedly, then stood, placing him on his chair. "Why don't you call your little friends and have them come over to see the babies while I continue to get things ready for storage? …And you can plan some sort of expensive party or something for your graduation while you're at it. Name the time, place, and what you want to eat, and I'll pay for everything. Think of it as a group present for all of you. …Saves me the trouble of actually having to go out and buy you each a separate present," he mumbled, rolling his eyes again, only to sigh when the blond wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Seto, yer such a big softie," Joey cooed, hugging him tightly. "Buyin' all our friends graduation gifts! When'd ya decide on that?"

"When I realized that even with a baby or two, I'll _still_ die with a large sum of money in my bank account. I want to waste it without seeming like a philanthropist, and your friends are just the way to do it."

The blond frowned and looked up at him. "_Our_ friends. And how would bein' a philanthropist be a bad thing?"

Seto snorted in disgust. "I don't _want_ people to like me more, Joey. I have enough trouble with all of the women wanting to have my babies or whatever it is they scream at me when I walk by. Then people will start _asking_ me for things. I'm not a naturally nice person, Joey; people have to grow on me first. …Even if they do have to do it like a parasite, like you and the Geek Squad did."

Joey scowled. "What'd you just call me, Seto?"

"I called you a _parasite,_ puppy. That's how I viewed you until Mythaven. Because you all BOTHERED ME!" he roared, making the blond release him in surprise. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he released it in a sigh. "…I'm sorry. But you have to admit, you were all pretty adamant on being my 'friends,' even when I made it clear I wanted none. It was annoying. You can tell I'd at least gotten used to you all bothering me when I didn't immediately take out restraining orders on you."

"…Well, you got a point there, but ya just called your lover and boyfriend a _parasite._" The younger teen narrowed his eyes. "Are we still parasites, Seto?"

"I believe my Social Immune System has finally realized you're not parasites, so no," the brunet agreed. "…I just have allergies when exposed too long to your friends."

Despite his annoyance at being called a parasite at any point in time, Joey had to giggle. He realized that his lover was completely serious, but… he'd just been talking about his Social Immune System and comparing his friends to _allergens._ "Ya still hafta come t' the party you're payin' for, ya know?"

"Tch, _fine._" Seto rolled his eyes again. "If I absolutely must. But I'm only coming because you asked me to."

"As long as you're comin', Seto." The blond paused, then smiled a little. "I love ya, ya grumpy old dragon."

The older boy grumbled but leaned over to kiss his forehead anyway. "Don't say I never do anything for you or your friends."

"_KYAAAAAAAA!_ …SETO THERE ARE YELLOW THINGS FLAILING ALL OVER MY ROOM!"

Seto sighed rolled his eyes toward the ceiling, as if asking, 'Why me?' Then, he turned and trudged for the stairs. "I'm coming, Mokuba."

"SHOULD I HAVE A FLY SWATTER OR SOMETHING?"

"NO! DO _NOT_ GET A FLY SWATTER!" the brunet roared, moving with more urgency.

Joey giggled quietly to himself as he watched his mate sprint up the stairs. Well, he supposed he'd miss _some_ of the yelling at the new house. After all, that last exchange wouldn't be nearly as funny if they hadn't been shouting at each other.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Are you _sure_ this is okay with Kaiba?" Téa asked, frowning, as she looked through all of the menus spread across the table.

"Of course I'm sure!" Joey exclaimed cheerfully. "He said we could choose anywhere, anytime, with any food, and he'd pay for all of it as a graduation gift t' all of us!"

"I find it hard to believe," Yami stated shortly.

Tristan snorted. "Come on, he's not _that_ bad. …Okay, he's pretty bad, but not as bad as he was before he and Joey started their whole 'mate' thing."

"I don't know, guys. He's actually pretty romantic when he wants to be," Ryou argued, frowning.

Yugi scowled. "It's none of our business _anyway._ Why do you always have to look a gift horse in the mouth, Yami? If Kaiba wants to pay for a graduation party for all of us, that's his choice."

"Have you all forgotten Death-T? That this is the same man who enjoys crushing smaller companies and laughing this evil 'wahaha' laugh whenever his rivals fail?"

"_I _think his evil laugh is _sexy,_" Joey stated shortly, glaring at him. "And _I_ don't care what he does in business as long as he's _happy._ And _I_ am over Death-T because you _mind-crushed_ him and he's basically fixed himself so he's only _slightly_ crazy." His eyes narrowed. "Yami, _you_ set someone on fire."

The silence that followed varied from horrified to stunned. Codi squeaked and clapped her wings over one of her baby's ears, appalled. When Joy failed to do the same, she shot him a glare and growled. When the male dragon continued to blink at her, she huffed and rolled her eyes in frustration.

Téa rolled her eyes as well and lightly placed her fingers where she guessed the baby's ears were. "_Boys._"

"_Theenkee, Tee."_

"You're welcome, Codi."

"Yami, you… you set someone on _fire?_" Yugi asked, horrified.

Yami tapped his fingers together and turned his gaze on the ceiling. "…Perhaps."

"I wouldn't put it past him."

At that, the group turned sharply to find Seto leaning in the doorway, raising an eyebrow in a bland expression of semi-interest. Soumya, now the size he should be, stood next to him, frowning, as he was a just creature, but he couldn't see any justice in setting anyone on fire.

"Honestly, I would have rather been set on fire than mind-crushed." Seto's eyes glowed for a moment, and the group worried what kind of situation they'd gotten themselves into. Then, he shrugged, and the dark anger was suddenly extinguished. "The guy he set on fire escaped from prison and had Téa as a hostage, from what I understand. …Before he got his separate body, of course. …However the stupid spirits did that…"

"Technically, he set himself on fire, pouring all of that alcohol on himself," Yami muttered, frowning. "I just set the lighter on his hand. His cigarette fell out of his mouth, and _that_ sent him up in flames."

"You didn't even _flinch!_" Joey roared, glaring at him. "He was screamin' and flailin' and ya didn't even _flinch!_"

The former pharaoh frowned. "I wasn't even aware you'd seen it. You said you were behind some fat person the whole time."

"I managed to _see_ it! That doesn't mean I didn't try t' block the horror outta my poor little head!"

"…So… _all_ of you have boyfriends that are psycho," Téa stated, rolling her eyes. "Yami, Bakura, and Kaiba. All of them are completely neurotic."

"I prefer the term 'eccentric,'" Seto replied, lifting the blond from his seat so he could sit down in his place. He settled his squirming mate on his lap and held him close.

Soumya scowled. "But the truth is you're all bat-shit crazy."

The silence after his statement was awkward, to say the least. Finally, though, Tristan coughed. "So, uh, Kaiba. You're paying for a party for us?"

The CEO raised an eyebrow. "…Yes…?"

"Why would I lie t' ya about that?" Joey exclaimed, looking put out. "Jerks!"

Seto sighed and rolled his eyes. "Whatever. _Yes,_ I'm paying for a party. Before you ask why, consider the amount of money I make, and the likelihood I'll ever be able to spend all of it."

Ryou frowned. "Well, that's true… but you've never really liked us, so why give us gifts for graduation when you yourself have _been_ graduated?"

"Let's just say I'm bat-shit crazy and leave it at that."

"Ahem." Soumya coughed quietly. "I would like to go home. If you wouldn't mind escorting me, Joey… I'm afraid Kankana might kill me herself when she sees me."

Joey scowled. "Well, couldja blame her? Ah, hell." Moving to stand, he sighed. "You guys pick somethin' t' eat and I'll be back as soon as I can."

Téa sighed. "Why don't we all just settle it right now? Let's just reserve one of the party rooms at Kaiba Land, order some pizza, and just spend the rest of the night playing games and partying. How does that sound?"

The boys blinked at her in surprise, then glanced at each other. After a few moments, Joey shrugged. "I'm game. I like Kaiba Land, pizza, and partying."

"Sounds good to me," Yugi agreed, scratching his cheek as he gave his doppelganger a slightly concerned glance. "…I guess as long as I bring Grandpa some pizza or something…"

"Can we invite other people?" Tristan asked, looking toward the mated couple. "Like, say, Duke, or Serenity?"

Seto shrugged. "I don't see what's stopping you."

Joey rolled his eyes. "Other than psychos terrifyin' them, Seto."

"Psh, I'm not that bad. I'm only mildly insane."

"Go ahead. In fact, I'd love it if ya invited Serenity! That way, Ma can't tell her 'no' on the grounds that she's hangin' out with trash!" the blond continued, smiling brightly at the prospect of seeing his sister. He paused, then added, "Oh, if ya wanna invite the dice bastard, I guess ya can, too."

"HOME!" Soumya exclaimed loudly, glaring at him. "I want to go there!"

The blond held his hands up and frowned. "Okay, we're goin', _jeez._" He paused, then turned and began tugging at his mate's shirt. "Come with me. I don't think I can hold her back myself."

"Well, if you're going, I guess I'll just go, too," Tristan sighed, standing. "Guess I'll see you at graduation tomorrow; Mom said I need to buy some dog food or that Blankey gets my share of dinner."

Ryou stood up and smiled at him. "We'll walk with you. We need to go that way anyway."

"We do?" Bakura did not look excited at the prospect.

"_Yes._ We need to buy some cat food." The smaller boy gave him a hard stare. "For the cat that you got me."

"Ugh, can't it catch its _own_ food?"

Joey giggled a little at the disgruntled look on the thief's face, then turned toward Yugi, Yami, and Téa. "Are you guys gonna wait, or are ya gonna go, too?"

Yugi frowned. "Well, Grandpa _did_ mention that he had a doctor's appointment. His not so subtle hint that I need to take care of the shop while he's gone. So Yami and I will have to go. …And he can tell me _more_ about the times he took over and I blacked out!"

"Rgh. It's really not that bad, Yugi—"

"YOU MADE ME SET SOMEONE ON FIRE!" the smaller boy roared, glaring at him.

Téa watched them leave—one snarling and growling while the other sulked—then sent them a small smile. "I think I'll stay a little longer. I may not be here when you get back, though. I'm really just here for these little cuties!" she cooed, smiling at the little dragons on her lap.

Joey opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a frustrated stomp. He winced as the hoof stomped against the wooden floor, then sighed. "Well, I guess we're goin' now."

"You're darn tootin'!" Soumya snarled, scowling.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Kankana? Amarok said you'd be out here!" Joey frowned and lifted a hand to anxiously chew on one of his nails. "…He said she was really stressed out, too…"

"She'll be fine. At least, she should be now that I'm back to help with the kits," Soumya replied, trotting after him.

Seto rolled his eyes. "If she doesn't kill you first."

The trio froze when they heard a loud snarl before the brunet hurriedly grabbed his dame and held the blond protectively. Soumya let out a startled, animalistic screech as something leapt on top of him and began bucking and twisting wildly until he finally reared up, lost his balance, and fell onto his back, rolling off of his attacker quickly.

Seto had a handful of lightning ready to throw at the attacker, but had to stop himself by twisting around his mate and slamming his hand into the ground quickly. "_Fuck!_"

"Kankana, what the _hell!_" Joey exclaimed, horrified, as he watched her stand and growl.

Her lip curled upward, exposing all of her sharp teeth that were now stained a light pink from the kirin's blood. A rough growl erupted from deep in her throat, and her muscles tensed as she prepared herself to leap again.

Joey saw her furious golden eyes darken into molten chocolate. Thinking back to when Seto had been possessed, he let out a horrified shriek. "_She's got Kankana!_"

Soumya let out an angry bellow and dipped his head, pawing the ground with a hoof as his only warning before he charged. The brunt of his horn slammed into her side and forced her down, causing her to snarl and flail and chew at the blunt antler until it snapped between her sharp teeth. This only angered her mate further, as he lifted himself and began stomping around her body furiously; he didn't want to hurt her, but he was showing her that he would if she didn't stop her madness.

Kankana snarled and twisted her head so her jaws closed around one of his legs with a sickening crunch as her teeth pierced the hard scales. A yelp escaped her throat when the kirin slammed her head against the ground in retaliation. Scampering to her feet, she tried to run, but then she felt pain flare up her spine as the dragon-deer's flat teeth closed on her tail.

The kirin's tail whipped around slapped against her rump with a loud smack, making her whimper and squirm like a frightened pup. Soumya spanked her again, then a third time, until she fell onto her side and rolled so she exposed her soft belly and throat. She released a quiet whine when she saw that his eyes were red instead of green, then fell limp, whimpering again when his tail slapped against her thigh.

Soumya snarled at her, snorting out a little bit of smoke in his ire; he was in pain, and his mate had caused it! "Damn it, Kankana!"

Kankana gagged before her stomach heaved, though nothing would come out. It felt as if something had gummed her teeth together, and she could no longer open her mouth. She let out a terrified whine and jerked her head, trying her damnedest to get her jaws open, but could not.

Joey rushed forward to help her only to be yanked back with a snarl. Turning toward the brunet frantically, he exclaimed, "Seto, she can't get her mouth open! We gotta help her!"

"Stay back here, then!" Seto snapped, shoving him back a few more steps before he knelt beside the prone inugami's head and tried to pry her jaws apart.

The blond squirmed helplessly. He wanted to assist his mate, wanted to help his inugami, but he wasn't allowed to do _anything!_ It was torture! He let out a shaky sigh of relief as Kankana's jaws were finally forced open, but then the black goo that had gummed them shut was moving.

Seto grabbed for it frantically, but it just slipped through his fingers. He let out a frantic roar as the black, oily-looking liquid literally leapt off the ground _at his mate's face_. "Joey, _move!_"

"What the fuck—" Joey tried—he really did—but he just couldn't move fast enough. He gagged as he felt the goo force itself down his throat and reached out to weakly grip the brunet's shirt as he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. He saw worried glowing eyes just before his vision started to fade.

He felt weak, and cold. He couldn't see anything but blurred colors, and then the colors faded into darks and lights; then, his vision faded altogether, and all he saw was black before any of the strength he had left was sapped away and he passed out entirely.

"Fuck, shit, damn it—Joey!" Seto cupped the blond's cheek and whined anxiously. "Joey! God, why does this always happen to you—" He jerked backward when a black mist began rising from his mouth, hissing in confusion; he couldn't tell whether it was good or bad that it was happening. When the mist dissipated and he was still left with an unconscious mate, however, he decided it was a bad thing. He nuzzled the blond's throat and whined again. "Joey…"

He flinched violently as he heard a cackle behind him, then turned, expression twisting into an angry, hateful glare as he saw a woman standing above the fallen bodies of the kirin and inugami.

Her long black hair was tied back with a large red ribbon at the base of her neck, her crimson eyes glinting in malicious glee as she rested a hand on one of her curvy hips, the other coming up to play with the chain around her neck, from which dangled a familiar looking pendant. "Well, well, well. If I'd had known it was _that_ easy, I would have stolen the Golden One's magic _years_ ago!"

Seto snarled angrily as he realized that it was the pendant Joey's grandmother had given him when he'd first inherited Mythaven. Despite wanting to keep control of himself, he felt his wings and tail rip his skin open as his magic surged with his fury. When she only grinned deviously at his poor control of his feelings, he snarled again. "_Nasaulea._"


	22. Chapter 22

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

"_Fuck, shit, damn it—Joey!" Seto cupped the blond's cheek and whined anxiously. "Joey! God, why does this always happen to you—" He jerked backward when a black mist began rising from his mouth, hissing in confusion; he couldn't tell whether it was good or bad that it was happening. When the mist dissipated and he was still left with an unconscious mate, however, he decided it was a bad thing. He nuzzled the blond's throat and whined again. "Joey…"_

_He flinched violently as he heard a cackle behind him, then turned, expression twisting into an angry, hateful glare as he saw a woman standing above the fallen bodies of the kirin and inugami._

_Her long black hair was tied back with a large red ribbon at the base of her neck, her crimson eyes glinting in malicious glee as she rested a hand on one of her curvy hips, the other coming up to play with the chain around her neck, from which dangled a familiar looking pendant. "Well, well, well. If I'd had known it was __**that**__ easy, I would have stolen the Golden One's magic __**years**__ ago!"_

_Seto snarled angrily as he realized that it was the pendant Joey's grandmother had given him when he'd first inherited Mythaven. Despite wanting to keep control of himself, he felt his wings and tail rip his skin open as his magic surged with his fury. When she only grinned deviously at his poor control of his feelings, he snarled again. "__**Nasaulea.**__"_

Chapter 22

Seto was ready to leap on her and tear her to pieces, but then he felt something bump his hand lightly, and he glanced down at his mate, still lying motionlessly in his arms. The baby was upset, and probably doing some extreme acrobatics in terror. Moving to cover his mate a little more protectively, he growled and turned his iciest glare on her.

Nasaulea laughed in response (something he was _certainly_ not used to), then looked down at the prone bodies of both Kankana and Soumya. She took a moment to kick the inugami in the stomach, hard enough that she was sent a few dozen feet and land with a crunch and unconscious whimper. She stomped on the dragon-deer's skull, crushing it easily, then took a few steps closer to him, still with that malicious smile. "Well, don't _you_ have an attitude!"

The brunet snarled at her, despite being terrified out of his mind for his mate; if she got her hands on him, she could tear the poor blond apart. "Of _course_ I have an attitude! You hurt my mate!"

"You know, I don't think I'd mind having you as part of my harem." She hummed thoughtfully, then nodded to herself. "You might even be one of my favorites, if you're as good in bed as I think you might be. …Then again…" She smirked as she glanced down at the boy in his arms. "Getting a mere _boy_ pregnant should attest to your sexual prowess, yes?"

"If you think I'd ever willingly fuck a slut like you—" Seto began acidly, but was cut off when her hand collided with his cheek.

It felt like he'd been hit in the face with a wrecking ball as he flipped over his mate and slammed headfirst into the ground. A hard kick that felt like a car crash against his shoulder flipped him onto his back, where he could only stare up at her, stunned, as he tried to recover from the pain causing his head to throb.

Nasaulea frowned at him sternly. "Now, that's no way to speak to the woman who is going to be your mistress. In fact, a little harem boy isn't a good enough title for you." Her lips twisted into a smirk. "How about… 'pet?'"

Seto felt a surge of hatred and anger despite his pain. He could remember Akuju calling his mate that, treating him like nothing more than a toy. He had no interest of being reminded of it and even less interest in emulating it. "Why you stuck-up little—"

"You know, if you're a good pet, I might even let you keep your mate," she added, smirk growing maliciously as the brunet let out a startled whine. "With certain restraints, of course. The child can't be allowed to live, naturally; I wouldn't want him trying to avenge his parents."

The brunet let out an angry rumble, and electricity crackled at his fingertips before she placed her heel on his throat. He let out an angry whine but fell still, magic flickering away.

Nasaulea hummed thoughtfully. "Now, as my pet, you'll get the honor of being able to wear pants. Your mate, however, will only be allowed a little loincloth. Perhaps brown or gold, to compliment his coloring? And of course he'll have to learn to be a good little boy and that he doesn't get to use the word 'no.'" Her smile grew particularly lewd at that. "Think of what the other little harem boys will do to him when they realize that _he_ is lower in rank than they are!"

"Kcchhhh!" Unable to speak as she dug her foot into his throat, Seto hissed in fury.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow skeptically. "_I_ personally find the idea of the little blond sandwiched between two other men arousing. Think of how pretty he'll look as he cries for help, with tears forming in those big brown eyes. I believe he'll be particularly pretty once they're finished with him, spent of energy and lying on the floor, covered in semen that _isn't yours._"

The brunet let out a livid roar and lunged upward to rip her throat out despite being unable to breathe. "_Bitch!_"

Nasaulea allowed him up only a few inches before she slammed him back down with a stomp to the head that left his ears ringing, though to her, the attack had been light. "Now, now, dragon-man, don't lose your temper so easily. After all, I'm being nice and letting you keep your mate."

He let out a rumble even as electricity began flickering at his fingers. Unfortunately, she moved her other foot to rest on his wrist, keeping it pinned down.

"Of course, I'll have to have a large harem to satisfy my needs, and I'll have people from all over the world. I _am_ going to be taking control of Mythaven, after all—and your world too, of course. In fact, if I remember correctly, that little puppet I'd been possessing had a cute little girlfriend before he succumbed to me—" she began, smirking again.

Seto snarled. "Haruki works in divination! He'll always be one step ahead of you!"

"Hmm. I don't suppose his sister will be so lucky; she's not as gifted as her brother and I are," Nasaulea stated, voice taking on a decidedly evil tone. "And I imagine that she'll scream and cry enough that her brother will _have_ to come and offer himself in exchange. I'll keep them both, of course. They're such _pretty_ siblings after all. Perhaps they can have some fun with your little mate."

Seto had every intention of ripping her to pieces even if it meant killing himself at that suggestion (he had not met Lita, but he decided he liked Haruki with his no-nonsense attitude, and his mate was _certainly _off limits), but the sound of some twigs breaking caught his attention. He turned his head, hoping desperately that Kankana was up and ready to begin biting off heads (she _did_ hate being in pain), or that Soumya hadn't actually died and was ready to smack a bitch.

Instead, there were franks.

The blue leader frank blinked her big, innocent green eyes, then arched her back with a hiss; the army of different colored franks behind her followed suit, making the pack (Herd? Pride? Gaggle?) sound as if someone had stumbled into a pit full of snakes, recorded it before they died, and this sound was the end result. Then, they charged.

Nasaulea took a surprised step back, eye twitching in disgust. "What the fuck! What _are_ they!"

"CHAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGEEEEEE!" Tlipo exclaimed, his gray body appearing among all of the pastel colors. "KEEL EET! KEEL EET!"

"Oh, _fuck!_" The witch at least had the sense to turn and begin running away; she had been eaten by one of them before, and it had not been pleasant.

Seto could only stare as the wave of franks passed, yowling and squalling as they took chase after the evil woman. Then, he turned and hurriedly crawled over to Joey, to try and wake him up. _[1]_

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Are you fucking _kidding me!_" Soumya roared, once he'd finally gotten his head above the asphalt. When a child stopped and looked at him in confusion, he hissed angrily, mane bushing up and making his stature grow an entire inch to be a whole foot and a half tall. "What are _you_ looking at?"

The boy blinked at him a little longer, then grabbed his ball and walked away. "Mom, I thought ya said I was too old for 'maginary friends."

"I AM NOT IN YOUR IMAGINATION!" the kirin hollered after him.

He had more important matters to attend to, though. He was lucky he regenerated with all of his magic intact; after it had been sucked out of him by the witch, and he'd had that split-second thought of 'oh-shit-I'm-dead' as he felt his skull being crushed, he'd worried about his mate and kits, and then Seto and Joey nearby. He could do little damage in this form, however, and had to reluctantly rely on people he hadn't spoken with for years.

Well, he'd spoken to one of them, but only long enough to accuse her brother of eating children in the night like some kind of ogre. He could only hope he wouldn't be punted across the street after the door was opened to him.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Hello?" Lita blinked, frowning, when she opened the door and found no one there. She was just beginning to shut the door again when she heard her brother shouting at her.

"Don't forget what mom taught us! 'Look all around before the door-slam sound!'"

She grumbled but looked left, right, up, and down. She was stunned when she found a very disgruntled looking kirin glaring at her. Normally, she would just slam the door shut anyway, but this event was truly puzzling. "…Shouldn't you be fully-grown by now?"

"Let me speak to your brother. It's important. YOU DON'T NEED TO PICK ME—" Soumya sighed loudly when she grasped him around the middle and picked him up like some sort of toy statue but didn't complain anymore. He grumbled as he was carried into a room that smelled highly of incense and seemed smoky. "Haruki! We have a problem!"

"What? Why? …Why are you so _tiny?_" Haruki asked in confusion.

The kirin sighed again, rolling his eyes in frustration. "That's the problem! Nasaulea's alive again—_Aaaahhhhh!_" He let out a high-pitched shriek as he was dropped, hitting the ground with a quiet 'whumph' sound. Turning to give the witch a dirty look, he found his ire fading when he saw just how terrified she looked. She wasn't old enough to remember Nasaulea, but she knew by the stories what horrible things could happen when she was around.

"Lita, don't drop the guests!" the widch exclaimed, glaring at her, before lifting the kirin onto his desk. "What's this about Nasaulea?"

"She's alive, in Mythaven, and much too close to the Golden One and my mate! I can't wait to grow to my natural size! I need a potion to help me grow faster so I can get back to Mythaven and help! Please, I'll even give you some of my horn for your other potions as payment! I just need to get back—"

Haruki flinched a little before he cut in, "Soumya, I don't… make… potions anymore."

Before the kirin could entirely flip out, Lita timidly added, "But, I recently made some of the potion. The rat I tested it on looked fine."

Soumya stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "…I suppose I have no choice."

"Good! Wait right here and I'll get it!"

Her brother watched her rush out of the room, frowning, then bit his bottom lip and looked over at the crystal ball sitting over on a pedestal. "…Would you… excuse me a moment…"

The kirin danced anxiously where he stood, rocking with impatience and terror. He'd heard his mate whimper when she landed, but there was no telling what sort of tortures she might be suffering right now. He watched the brunet gaze into the crystal ball for a few minutes, then turned and walked back to the desk. He scribbled something down quickly, then stuffed it into an envelope.

"Here! It's—it should work, but—I mean, the rat was fine, but you're magical, and—"

"Just give me the potion, Lita," Soumya sighed, growing just a bit more agitated. He stuck out his tongue when she held up a dropper, growling a little when she let out a nervous giggle and muttered about a giraffe tongue.

The moment the drops of the green liquid hit his tongue, however, he felt a sizzling sensation, and his vision suddenly dissolved into a mix of neon colors in a kaleidoscope that made him reel. He didn't know which way was up or down, and even if he did, everything was distorted as things stretched and squished and grew and shrank.

The next thing he could clearly see that wasn't psychedelic-like-_whoa_ was the two humans standing over him and looking down in concern, his face pressed into the Persian rug.

"Are you okay?" Lita asked quietly, frowning, as her brother's brows furrowed together.

"That… was the _trippiest_ thing I've ever experienced." Soumya blinked slowly. "It's trippier than _marijuana._"

Haruki's face twisted into a confused frown. "When have you ever—"

"That's not important," the kirin stated quickly, rolling to get his legs under his body. Heaving himself to his feet, he glanced in the mirror to see that he was the proper height, then frowned. Taking a step closer, he blinked, then let out a horrified scream. "MY HAIR IS PURPLE!"

The widch sighed. "I think it's safe to say that this is _definitely_ not your day, Soumya."

"_AGH!_"

"I'm so sorry! Maybe I should have put that extra newt tail in!" Lita exclaimed, covering her face.

"You do _not_ mess with recipes that are thousands of years old," Haruki stated, glaring at her.

Soumya narrowed his eyes. "I agree. I may have purple hair, but I shudder to think of what I would look like if you had altered the potion in any way."

"…Okay…" she answered meekly.

The silence that followed was awkward, at least until Haruki speared the envelope onto the kirin's horn. "That's for Kaiba. Make sure he gets it, because we won't be here when he gets back if he needs to find out what it said."

Soumya frowned. "Why? Where are you going?"

"Like _hell_ I'm going to be around here if that crazy bitch gets here! You know the three places people always take over first? America, Japan, and Europe! And Europe is taken easily because it's all attached to each other!" he exclaimed, waving his arms about wildly. "I'm taking my little sister somewhere safe and—"

"But what about Kohi?" Lita cut in, frowning at him.

Haruki looked baffled. "…Who the hell is Kohi and _why_ the hell should I care about him?"

"…Well, he's my boyfriend, and—"

"I never gave you permission to have a boyfriend! Ugh, you know what, I'll scold you later, when we're not in imminent danger! How did you even—NO, I'll _definitely_ have to scold you about it later."

"I'll just… go now…" Soumya muttered, before trotting out of the room. He knew he'd probably be quite the spectacle as he trotted into the Kaiba mansion (he wasn't that small anymore, after all), but he'd leave Seto to deal with that when they got back. Right now, he cared more about making sure that there was a home _for_ the CEO to come back to.

"WHEN DID YOU FIND TIME TO GET A BOYFRIEND WHEN YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE STUDYING!"

Ah. It appeared all older brothers were overprotective of younger siblings, male or female. At least, if Seto, Joey, and Haruki were anything to go by.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"I can never do that again. I swear to God, I'll die," Seto stated, growling, as he glared at the inugami. "Maybe without the baby, I could have done it, but my heart was ready to _pop._"

"We needed to get him to Nest. His magic will renew on its own, but it will do it much faster here." Kankana winced a little even as she snorted out some blood. "Nasaulea doesn't realize what she's dealing with; you simply can't steal the Golden One's magic. …So Soumya was really coming home to me?" she asked quietly, peering up at him in such a way that, to Seto, it was quite obvious that she loved him to pieces even when she was bossing him around or bitching him out.

"He… yeah. All he wanted to do was get home to you and the pups," he replied, uncomfortable with the situation.

"…Oh. Is he going to regenerate again, or whatever? Or do kirins only get to do that once?"

"I have absolutely no idea, Kankana. You'll have to ask a dragon."

The pair turned immediately as they heard a gasp from the bed. Seto was by his mate in seconds, grasping his hand as the blond jerked upward with a startled cry. "Joey! Calm down, puppy; it's okay—"

"It was on my face an' I couldn't breathe an' I was gonna die—the baby!" Joey wailed, looking up at him desperately. "Did it hurt the baby?"

The brunet leaned down to press a kiss to his lips. "No, puppy the baby's fine."

Joey let out a frightened sob and gripped his hand tightly. "Then why does it hurt?"

Seto stared at him in confusion, brows furrowed together as he tried to wrap his mind around what was happening. "What?"

"I feel like he's tryin' t' rip me in half!"

"What do you mean it hurts? You're not supposed to go into labor for another month! THIS MADNESS IS UNACCEPTABLE!" Kankana roared, then high-tailed it out of the room. "I'm calling for Jace!"

It had taken a few moments for the brunet to comprehend, but when he finally did, he stood up, letting out a frustrated snarl. "You're in _labor?_"

"I don't know!" the blond wailed, tugging at his hand. "It just really hurts! Seto, do something!"

Seto, however, was at a loss for what to do, and so he just knelt beside his mate and nuzzled his stomach, hoping that would be enough until someone could come and help them.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Nasaulea grunted in disgust as she shook some mud off of her boots. "Monstrous little _rats._"

So running had been an admittedly stupid thing to do, but it had been the only thing she could think of at the time when faced with evil little monsters that refused to die. Luckily, she'd calmed down enough to just jump realms. Now she just had to figure out where she was.

Hearing two boys walking past her and chatting away, she took a moment to make sure she looked presentable (and just as seductive as she always did), then ducked out of the bushes and onto the sidewalk, stumbling a little on the cement. Once she had regained her balance, however, she called after them, "Oh, excuse me! Boys!"

The pair turned, surprised. The taller boy (albino, she noticed, mentally adding him to the harem she'd have once she took over this world and Mythaven) frowned. "Are you alright, ma'am?"

The smaller of the two, with violet eyes and a star-shaped, multi-colored hairstyle she found quite adorable on him (also adding him to her harem) blinked at her innocently. "…Did you just step out of the bushes?"

She laughed coyly. "Oh, I just got a little lost, that's all! Would you little boys mind telling me where I am right now?" She was confused when the boys suddenly developed icy auras.

"Domino, Japan," the smaller boy stated shortly.

"We're graduating high school tomorrow," the albino added, glaring at her.

Nasaulea had to take a step back in surprise. "Really? I could have sworn you were no older than twelve!"

"Go die in a fire!"

The albino grabbed his friend and began dragging him away, horrified. "Yugi, shh!"

"Do you know how many people still mistake me for a grade school kid? AGH! I can't wait until I hit a growth spurt or something! This is _infuriating!_"

"But Yugi—"

"Don't make me hurt you, Ryou!"

Nasaulea watched them go in confusion. "…What the hell just happened…? People these days…"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

[1] You'll please notice that Nasaulea not once calls Joey by his name or Golden One. She dehumanizes him; she doesn't feel he's worth even that much. Sorry if this chapter moved really fast. I've just been suddenly struck with the drive to keep updating this. Sorry it's been so long, guys.


	23. Chapter 23

Author's Note: WHAT? It's been how long? I DON'T BELIEVE IT. **:|**

…Yes I do. I'm sorry! D**:** Also! I'm sorry about the first and second scene if it doesn't appeal to you. The point is IT APPEALS TO ME AND I'M THE AUTHOR SO HA! This is the beginning of the end!**  
**

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Nasaulea had to take a step back in surprise. "Really? I could have sworn you were no older than twelve!"_

"_Go die in a fire!"_

_The albino grabbed his friend and began dragging him away, horrified. "Yugi, shh!"_

"_Do you know how many people still mistake me for a grade school kid? AGH! I can't wait until I hit a growth spurt or something! This is infuriating!"_

"_But Yugi—"_

"_Don't make me hurt you, Ryou!"_

_Nasaulea watched them go in confusion. "…What the hell just happened…? People these days…"_

Chapter 23

When a tall man with long white hair tied back into a ponytail just waltzed into the room, Seto nearly punched him. Kankana had had to hurriedly explain that it was Jace in a human form because hooves weren't exactly conducive when it came to _birthing children._ It was only the unicorn-turned-human's quick thinking to duck that had saved him before she explained, however. Then, he was unceremoniously booted out of the room with the inugami.

Now, however, he was even more worried than before, even though Kankana didn't necessarily look concerned, tucked into a petite brick-like shape with her eyes closed. How could she be so calm right now? Joey was inside, in pain, and she was out here just dozing-! And why couldn't he hear anything? He should be able to hear his mate screaming and cursing at him and damning pregnancy in general! None of that was happening!

"Will you calm down? Jace has been doing this for years; everything will be fine," Kankana stated, scowling at him.

Seto turned toward her sharply. "But I have heard _nothing_ from them! When a woman gives birth, her husband is supposed to be there! Dragons, too! It's just this stupid _dog_ thing that makes you all stick it out alone! …_You_ screamed like a freaking banshee when _you_ were giving birth!"

"I have _always_ screamed like a banshee when I was in pain," she explained, trying to keep her patience. "_Joey_ has always tried to stifle his pain so as not to draw attention to himself. It's not in his nature to be loud unless he's not vulnerable at that moment. Just be patient. When he needs you, he will call for you."

The brunet sighed in defeat and leaned against the nearest wall, frowning as he crossed his arms and glanced at the door in concern. "I just… I just want to help him. Both he and the baby are still recovering from Nasaulea's attack, and if I lose even one of them…"

He didn't allow himself to continue. Just the thought of losing the baby—of Joey's resulting agony and guilt—was too much. They'd spent so much time preparing, celebrating, and anxiously waiting; losing the baby now would ruin them. And losing Joey—

…Life would end.

"AH! _AH!_ SETOOOOOOOO!"

Seto turned toward the door sharply and let out a whine of distress. "I'm allowed to go in?"

"Well if anyone was going to stop you, Joey would probably _kill_ them," the inugami stated, then stretched out and laid her head on her paws.

The brunet threw the door open immediately, ready to chew off Jace's arm if he had to, only to freeze in the doorway as he heard a small, quiet wail, too small to belong to his mate or the unicorn. The noise startled him, but mostly, he was stunned.

He wasn't embarrassed that his mate was glaring at him, chest still heaving with the exertion he'd just gone through. He wasn't angry that another man was kneeling between the blond's still spread legs, trembling thighs damp with sweat. He didn't even care that Jace was looking at him in surprise, as if he shouldn't be there while _his_ mate was giving birth to _their_ child.

He just saw a little bundle in the unicorn's arms.

Letting out a quiet, confused whine from the back of his throat, Seto shifted his weight from one foot to the other, wings fluttering a little as he hesitated in the door. After a moment, though, he managed a quiet, _**"Mine?"**_

Jace blinked at him, stunned, then glanced down at the bundle of blankets in his arms. "…I assumed that it was—"

"Just give it t' him!" Joey exclaimed in frustration. "He's doin' somethin' dragony!"

Seto whined again as the other man stood and walked over to him, tilting his head as he looked at the little creature's tiny red face. When the bundle of child was offered to him, he gently took the blanket-wrapped baby into his arms and whined again.

He was so tiny. He could probably fit in his cupped hands if he wasn't tucked up in a blanket. And he was so light, it was like he wasn't even there. He hoped the baby would grow up to be a little bigger, a little healthier; if he was scrawny, he wouldn't be able to roughhouse with Joey and Mokuba without getting bruises, and he especially couldn't play with Kaii—

"…Seto?" Joey squirmed as Jace tried to tuck him into bed. "Seto—"

Seto moved over to sit on the edge of the bed immediately so the blond couldn't exhaust himself even more; he could see that his dame was tired, and he didn't want him to strain himself after all that his body had had to go through. He vaguely wondered how exactly the baby had been born (Cesarean? God, he hoped it was cesarean; the alternative made him cringe), then shook the thought away and used his tail to help prop him up. "Are you okay?"

"Lemme see," the younger boy demanded, scowling in determination. "He's my baby too!"

The brunet sighed and turned to gently place the bundled baby into his arms. "He certainly didn't cry much."

"I put him to sleep until I could get to Molly—you remember her? The cow?" Jace frowned. "Joey obviously can't lactate, so I'll ask Molly to send some milk for when he wakes up. Joey will need to rest for at least a few days—a week, if you can keep him in bed." He began twirling his hair around on his fingers idly. "He's about four pounds right now, fifteen inches. I'll find the paperwork in the study and sign the birth certificate. For now, both of you should rest. You've had a very long day—and you."

Seto grunted in annoyance as the other man leaned toward him. "What?"

"…If you ever hope for that bruise on your shoulder to heal, you need rest, too," the white-haired man stated slowly. "I hear Nasaulea has gained power. You need to be at your best if you hope to even _try_ and defeat her."

As the brunet rumbled in aggravation at the reminder, Joey looked up at him in confusion. "Nasaulea? The black snake thing? What happened t' it, Seto?"

That was right. Joey had been unconscious. He hadn't heard all of the vile things that the witch had threatened, leaving him to be raped and slapped around by other people in her harem. He hadn't heard that she'd have killed their baby, would have forced them both to be her slaves.

Seto scowled. And Joey wouldn't know. Not until he was perfectly healthy again. Because he knew Joey, and he knew that his mate would want to go after Nasaulea immediately no matter how he physically felt.

"The franks came and chased it away." He saw Jace open his mouth and shot him such a dirty look that he cringed. "Do you want me to go get a crib from the elves, or—"

Kankana poked her head into the room. "I can be a crib!" She eyed the little bundle in the blond's arms, then glanced back at her own body. "…Okay, so it may be a tight squeeze for me, but I can be a crib!"

Jace frowned. "Now, Kankana, I'm sure you mean the best, but—"

He fell silent as the inugami invited herself in and walked over to the bed, then lay down and curled up in a ball. She examined herself, then hunched her legs closer together and turned to eye the bundle again. She rounded her back a little more before finally settling. "Just put him between my stomach and my legs. See? I can be a crib. I've been a crib before."

Joey smiled at her sweetly. "I'm sure ya have, Kankana. Thank you for offering." He held the baby out to Jace, who reluctantly tucked the baby into the curve of the large dog's stomach and sighed.

"I just want you all to know that I think this is terribly unsafe."

"I think _you're_ terribly unsafe, but I never say a thing about you," Kankana grumbled, scowling at him.

He sighed again and held his hands up in defeat. "Alright. Fine. I'll have Molly send milk up to you." He paused to give Seto an unreadable look. Then, he turned and left.

Joey waited until he was sure the unicorn-turned human had left before he slumped against the tail holding him up in exhaustion. "Oh God. That was the most stressful—most painful—God, I don't even…"

Seto pulled him into his arms and held him gently, unsure of what his body could handle. "…How did you get the baby out?"

The blond glanced up at him for a moment, then smiled a little. "Seto, I'd probably break your brain."

"…So… _not_ cesarean."

"Decidedly not."

"Oh."

Joey sighed and nuzzled into his chest. "He says that if I do this again, we'll hafta do a C-section that time, though. I just… I wasn't ready t' have a unicorn come at me with a knife, ya know?"

Seto hummed quietly. "I see. You should rest. You've been through a lot today."

"Mm, 'kay." The blond sighed and lifted his head to kiss his jaw lightly. "You'll explain what happened today t' me after I wake up, right? 'cause I'm pretty confused on some things, Seto."

"…Alright," the brunet replied, then lifted his hand to begin stroking his hair.

He felt like he was lying, but he really wasn't. He _did_ intend to tell Joey everything that had happened. However, this time he was taking a page out of Joey's book; he was going to do something he thought was stupid without telling him. He was going to go after Nasaulea alone, to keep her from hurting his family. He knew he was outmatched—she was stronger, more powerful, more used to battle—but he had something on his side that seemed to be unaffected by her powers.

He just wondered how he'd explain it when he came back.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Lita glanced around nervously, then slowly made her way through the house, flinching at the softest sounds. She felt foolish, skulking around her own house like a thief, but Haruki was convinced that Nasaulea would come after them first and had forced them to flee; unfortunately, he'd forgotten to pack the kitten's favorite stuffed toy, and he'd been howling without it, so she figured it would be okay to pop back in and get it. She didn't really understand her brother's reasoning as to why Nasaulea would come after them first. Haruki was too stubborn to bend to her whims.

'_I'm not even a very good witch,'_ she thought sadly. _'She could go after Haruki because he's good at what he does, but… I'm not good at anything.'_

She had never been thankful about being so horrible at making potions, the only thing she seemed _moderately_ good at besides her skill in seeing auras, but somehow, knowing she'd be of no use to the evil witch was comforting. She just wished that sometimes, she was better at something other than seeing what color a person's aura was.

Because she still felt badly about turning Soumya's mane purple.

Jeez, Haruki had left the kitten's stuffed toy on the bed that their suitcases had been set on! What kind of idiot was he? Breaking cover to go straight to the bed, she snatched up the stuffed mouse and sighed in frustration, muttering about stupid brothers and their stupid stupidity.

When she felt a hand on her shoulder, however, she let out a terrified screech and turned sharply. "NO WHAT DO YOU WANT I KNOW KARATE!" She flailed wildly, dislodging the hand that had grabbed her, then fell onto the bed. "I can beat you to a pulp in two seconds! I-! …Oh, Kohi, what are you doing here?"

She'd been expecting a witch that would have smacked her down immediately. Instead, she found her ever-loving, blue-eyed, black-haired boyfriend.

Kohi raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "…Lita, you can't do any of those things."

Lita blushed and glanced away for a moment, then looked up at him again quickly. "Well I could throw a potion on you and run away while you were distracted!"

"…So long as your potion didn't do the opposite of what you made it to do and make me stronger or faster than I normally am," he replied, smiling a little. His smile soon faded, however, as his fond expression turned to one of concern. "What are you doing here? You told me your brother was taking you away and you didn't know when you'd be back because it wasn't safe here. Somehow, I don't think your brother knows that you're here."

She glanced away and frowned. "…Well, no. I-I was just coming to pick up Justini's toy mouse, because he was crying without it, and—"

"For the love of all things to do with Nature, Lita, Justin is your _cat!_"

Lita bristled at that. "His name is JUH-STEE-NEE and he's only a kitten!"

Kohi sighed loudly in annoyance. "Lita, I swear to every god in every religion, you are the most foolish, dim-witted little girl in the history of _forever!_"

"Then why are you dating me?" she shot back, glaring at him.

"Because despite the fact that you're a failure of a witch, you're still a good person!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I don't know how you manage to keep your optimism when you suck at everything you try to do!"

He knew he could get pretty nasty whenever he was angry or frustrated, and he usually had some major damage control when he'd calmed down. This time, however, he didn't need to calm down to see that he'd really hurt her, especially with the look of betrayal on her face as she tried to keep tears from forming in her eyes.

"…I didn't mean that. I mean, yes, you're not very good at a lot of things, but you're good at some things." He paused to try and figure out what to say next, because what he'd first said made things seem even worse. "…Look, Li, you should be with Haruki. Let's just go find your brother, and we can talk about this later, when he's finally satisfied that you're safe."

"I don't want to go anywhere with you," Lita whispered, unable to manage even the smallest glare. "I'll go by myself."

Kohi frowned in concern. "Are you sure that's safe?"

"_No,_ but it's better than going anywhere with you!" she snapped, shoving past him. She gripped the stuffed mouse in her hand tightly and used her free hand to wipe away the tears threatening to spill, sniffling as she stomped out of the house.

'_At least Haruki said it to me nicely!'_

Okay, so most people would consider her brother's blunt way of talking hurtful and not at all nice. However, it had been better than all of the false smiles and 'good job, you're getting betters' she always got. It had been kinder for him to pull her aside and say, 'Listen, you really suck at this, and I don't see you getting better in the near future. You've had a few real successes in potions; why don't you work on just potion making until you're really good at that, and _then_ try something else?'

Blunt, to the point, but honest, and what she needed to hear. Not at all what her boyfriend had said.

Lita let out a startled bleat as she walked into someone and was knocked backward. "Ack! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going, and I just—I'm so sorry!"

"That's quite alright. I'm fine. No harm done."

She looked up in surprise and blushed a little in embarrassment when she saw a woman who looked much too high-class to be out just walking the residential streets. She took a moment to admire her sleek black hair and her womanly figure, feeling both jealousy and pain at the fact that she'd never get to look like that, then hurriedly bowed. "I'm still so sorry! I should have been watching where I was going!"

"That's quite alright." The woman pursed her lips, then smiled and motioned to the stretch of woods that was a nature preserve beside the little neighborhood. "Would you mind helping me? My dog ran into the woods, and I haven't been able to find him."

'…_I should get back to Haruki, before he gets really mad. But I __**did**__ just nearly knock this lady over.'_ Lita nibbled her bottom lip nervously. _'…It… it should be okay if I only look for a few minutes. He's already missed me this long, so a few more minutes won't hurt him. And I can make up for nearly knocking this lady down…'_

She glanced back between the lady and the woods a few times, then slowly nodded her head. "Okay. What's his name?"

The woman paused thoughtfully as they began to walk, then slowly replied, "His name is… Joey."

Lita smiled. "I know someone named Joey, and he acts like a dog sometimes! What a small world!"

"Yes, small indeed."

The girl let out a startled squeal as a grip on her neck suddenly swung her around and slammed her against a tree so hard her ears rang. "Nngh!"

"You're really much too old to trust strangers, dear," the woman stated, before the nice skirt and blouse and the sensible shoes seemed to dissolve from sight to show instead a black corset and would could only be called daisy dukes—also black. And leather. Lots of leather. Leather boots that went up to her thighs like dominatrix boots. Shit.

Lita squirmed as the woman's eyes faded from brown to red, clawing frantically at the hand around her throat that was keeping her from screaming for help. "Ngk!"

"Oh, so you know who I am? Yes, I suppose your family would have told you; after all, 'Nasaulea' is such a well-known name." Nasaulea smirked and tilted her head a little. "My, my. You'd think you'd know better. Haruki _has_ been looking out for you, hasn't he?"

"Kch!" The smaller girl whimpered and squirmed some more—at least until the older witch pressed up against her, making her squeak in terror.

Nasaulea chuckled darkly and slid one of her hands up her shirt. "You'll do perfectly as one of my harem, dear. After all, it's been a while since I've seen someone as innocent as you."

Lita thrashed wildly, shoving her hand away and managing to wiggle out from between both the woman and the tree, breaking the grip on her throat. Instead of pausing to scream, however, she just began to run. _'Just my luck!' _She squealed as some tree roots suddenly sprang from the ground and wrapped tightly around her legs, twisting up past her knees and thighs to knot around her hips. "Shit! Let me go!"

"Hmm, I don't think so. After all, I need your brother's expertise, and what better way to get his cooperation than to use his little sister as leverage?" she hissed, coming up behind her captive and rubbing up against her back. "And since I have you… I might as well… _use_ you a little."

"_Ahn!_" Lita jerked her body as much as she could when Nasaulea circled around to face her, but she couldn't get free. "Let me go you crazy—_mmn!_" She whimpered as the older woman reached down to rub between her legs and closed her eyes tightly. "No, let me go—ah! Stop—don't touch me there—"

Nasaulea chuckled quietly and shoved her fingers into the younger girl's mouth. "Complain around _that_, dear. Oh, you and your brother are going to be so much fun to play with…"

Lita whimpered around the fingers that had caught her tongue as soon as they'd entered her mouth and began to cry.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Seto scowled at the frank he was holding by the scruff. "Well? Don't just look at me. Say something."

The blue frank mewed at him innocently.

The brunet glared at her. "Joey told me you talked to him. I need your help."

"_What do you need, Captain?"_ Frankie blinked at him.

Seto stared at her for a few moments, stunned by the nickname, then decided he didn't _even_ want to know. "Nasaulea's powers don't work on you, do they?"

"_No, Captain."_

"Do you have any idea why that is?" the Dragon Master asked, frowning.

She blinked at him again, as if he was stupid for asking. _"No, Captain."_

'_Well that was useless.'_ Seto sighed and rolled his eyes. "Would you mind coming with me for a while?"

Frankie blinked at him again, slowly this time as she pondered his request. She let her gaze slide over to the tribe of franks sleeping in a protective circle around her two babies, which were already passing her size to grow to the same size as Tlipo. Tlipo was off hunting again, so he wasn't there to tell her 'eet's a bad ideea, man!' She knew he'd complain; apparently, she'd grown on him more than he'd expected. However, she also knew that The Witch was a bad person, and she'd probably hurt a lot of people—and probably take revenge on the group of franks in particular for eating her. And trying to eat her again. …And a third time.

Looking away from her family to gaze at him, she nodded once, firmly. _"Anything for you, Captain."_

The brunet smiled a little, but immediately glanced at the others and frowned. "…Is it possible to…?"

"…_?"_ Frankie glanced at the group again, then looked up at him and mewed quietly. _"I'll come alone if you can sneak me away, Captain."_

"Ah. Hey, why—No, never mind. Definitely never mind," he muttered, then tucked her beneath his wing.


	24. Chapter 24

Author's Note: I have never read _Wicked_, nor have I seen it, so I have given the Wicked Witch of the West an original name. If you review about the Wicked Witch of the West, please use her title or the name I have given her, because when you use the name from _Wicked_, I am incredibly confused, and then I have to Google. :| Quite frustrating.

Also, I can't recall if I've made an announcement to this fandom yet, so if I have, please forgive me. I know I should have updated sooner, but I was too pissed off and frustrated, since my hard drive was beginning to crap out and erased two of the four pages I'd already written. When I'd worked on it a little more and was starting to get into it a few weeks later, my hard drive basically shouted "HA HA" and died. Completely. Dead. Everything I'd had before was gone; all I had available was what I'd saved a few weeks before onto my flash drives, which unfortunately did not include WHAT I HAD JUST BEEN WORKING ON. I was so pissed off at that point that I basically said "fuck it."

This is why I've updated basically everything else; it was all new and original stuff that I _hadn't lost_. Luckily, I'm back in the groove of _The Secret Serpent._ I'm sorry it took so long.

* * *

The Secret Serpent

_Recap:_

_Frankie blinked at him again, slowly this time as she pondered his request. She let her gaze slide over to the tribe of franks sleeping in a protective circle around her two babies, which were already passing her size to grow to the same size as Tlipo. Tlipo was off hunting again, so he wasn't there to tell her 'eet's a bad ideea, man!' She knew he'd complain; apparently, she'd grown on him more than he'd expected. However, she also knew that The Witch was a bad person, and she'd probably hurt a lot of people—and probably take revenge on the group of franks in particular for eating her. And trying to eat her again. …And a third time._

_Looking away from her family to gaze at him, she nodded once, firmly. __**"Anything for you, Captain."**_

_The brunet smiled a little, but immediately glanced at the others and frowned. "…Is it possible to…?"_

"…_**?"**__ Frankie glanced at the group again, then looked up at him and mewed quietly. __**"I'll come alone if you can sneak me away, Captain."**_

"_Ah. Hey, why—No, never mind. Definitely never mind," he muttered, then tucked her beneath his wing._

Chapter 24

"Shit! Fuck! Shit! Fuck! Shit!" Haruki let out an enraged howl as he kicked the dead roots that he could sense had once held his sister. "_Shit!_"

Damn Lita for being such a scatterbrain! Damn Lita for caring more about her stupid cat than her own safety! Damn Lita for disregarding everything he'd told her!

…And damn himself for not foreseeing this—or even guessing about it, because he should have known his baby sister better.

He winced as the tiny tabby kitten that was his sister's familiar let out a squeak. _"Tears!"_

"Yes, Justini, I'm aware of the tears."

"_Teeears!"_ the kitten squeaked again.

Haruki let out an angry roar. "_Yes,_ Justini, I'm aware of the fucking tears!"

Justini looked up at him. _"Sex!"_

…He had not known about the smell of sex.

Haruki let out another angry roar. "That _bitch!_ That unmitigated _whore_ knows _no_ level of decency, even for _evil!_"

The kitten looked upset. _"Evil?"_

"I'm not _talking_ about Lita, Justini! I'm talking about Nasaulea!" The redhead sighed in annoyance. "You know what? Never mind. …I must be going crazy. I'm talking to my sister's familiar like it actually cares about what I'm saying," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "Damn it. _Damn it._"

He felt his heart constrict painfully. His little sister had only ever wanted him to feel proud of her, and when he'd failed to show any sort of approval in anything she did, she'd turned instead to a species of familiar that wasn't known for its sympathy. Justini was easy to please, though, so he could understand why his sister chose him for her familiar and would go home for his toy.

…Maybe he shouldn't have yelled at her so much. Maybe he should have been nicer to her, made her feel less like a failure for messing up even the simplest of potions. Maybe he shouldn't have laughed when her potions reacted wrong. Maybe… maybe he could have shown he cared a little more often. Maybe then she wouldn't have put all her energy into making a cat happy and instead have worked a little harder to make herself safe and happy instead.

Maybe then she wouldn't have been abused and kidnapped by Nasaulea.

Haruki scrubbed at his eyes quickly. "Damn it!" Hearing a mew, he turned and scowled as he saw the little tabby bat around a stuffed mouse—and he was immediately furious. He snatched up the mouse and threw it as hard as he could with a roar. "STUPID CAT!"

Justini moved to chase after the mouse, then paused. Haruki frowned as the tabby's fur suddenly bristled, and the kitten arched its back to make itself seem larger. The mouse was batted back into the clearing.

The widch screamed as the kitten immediately bolted to him and up his body to hide in the hood of his sweatshirt. "JESUS AND CHEESE ON A CRACKER!" When he saw what had batted the mouse back out, however, he wanted to employ the feline's escape tactic and run up the nearest tree.

The feline that came out and pounced on the toy was at least the size of a bull, if not larger. It had long saber-teeth and big green eyes. And it was… blue?

Suddenly, the terror he'd felt evaporated. "Are you fucking kidding me."

Seto appeared out of the trees, his reptilian wings sliding back into his body. "That's everyone's reaction to franks. Believe me."

"Kaiba. Don't scare me like that," Haruki growled. "I almost shit my pants."

"I would have come out first and warned you, but she saw the mouse and darted ahead of me." The brunet reached out and dug his hand into the saber-frank's thick hair. "She's usually not this big."

"_He smells like the scaly horse, Captain!"_ Frankie stated, looking up at him.

The two humans frowned, baffled. Justini poked his head out of the widch's hood and mewed. _"Purple!"_

"Scaly horse and purple…" Haruki frowned, brows furrowing together in thought. Then, he turned a deadpanned stare on the giant blue cat. "A scaly horse. That's really how you think of Soumya."

Seto was baffled. "How is Soumya purple?"

The widch sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess you didn't see him then, so he couldn't give that note to you. Uh, Lita gave him a potion to make him grow faster and…" He scratched the back of his head and glanced away. "…Well, somehow it turned his hair purple."

The brunet coughed to cover up a laugh. Now was no time to joke around. "I see. What note?"

"I gave Soumya a note to give to you. You know how Dracea was melted with water?"

"…Vaguely."

Haruki rolled his eyes. "Well, water isn't enough. So you'll have to use fire. The best way to do that, I think, is either oil or gasoline on water." He sighed and looked away, frowning. "Water will keep Dracea's powers at bay, and fire should probably be enough to kill Nasaulea."

Seto blinked slowly. "…Probably, you said?"

The other man shrugged. "With divination, you can never be one hundred percent certain. I've interpreted the vision the best I can."

"And you want me to base all of my plans on an assumption?" the brunet spat.

Haruki scowled at him. "Well what the hell were you planning to do then?"

Seto frowned and crossed his arms. "I was going to have Frankie eat her." When the widch scoffed at him, he scowled. "I have been informed that franks don't die, and Frankie has proved that first by being trampled and crushed, and then by eating the goo that was Nasaulea before she regained her power."

The redhead blinked slowly. "…She… ate the goo?"

"_She tasted awful, Captain,"_ Frankie supplied.

Haruki looked at the pastel feline in confusion. "She ate the goo… and it tasted awful…"

"…Don't think about it too hard," Seto offered, but the widch could tell he was trying his damnedest not to smile smugly. "Franks have that effect on quite a few people."

.-.-.-.-.-.

Akuju became aware of the evil coming toward him much sooner than Fenrir did. Perhaps it was because the wolf was too busy ripping his back open with his claws. In any case, when the evil creature that had descended upon them got there and broke the giant wolf's jaw with a simple kick that had him slamming into the wall, he knew who it was; he didn't even need to see her face to know that his past mistake was coming back to haunt him.

Lifting his head slowly, he frowned as he looked up at her. "Nasaulea. I see you've found a corporeal form again." His eyes narrowed. "Then you have no use for me."

Nasaulea hummed and shrugged. "Well, you helped me out quite a bit after those witches sealed me away. You weren't a completely hopeless vessel." She smiled darkly. "And I've always thought you were handsome, in a roguish way."

"…Thank you," Akuju answered after a moment. "If you have a point, please get to it."

"Be my partner in crime until I rule everything," she offered, and he wondered what was possibly in it for her. "With your help, it will only be a days until I rule Mythaven, and after that, the rest of the world."

The raven-haired man hummed and looked away. "So this is just because you're impatient? You want my help because you don't want to wait?"

"Of course. Then, once I have complete power, I'll tear Mythaven apart, force all of the mythical creatures and peoples back into the world that is rightfully mine so they're easier to control, and then create as much chaos as I can to kill as many humans possible and destroy all of the things they feel so accomplished about," she replied, shrugging.

Akuju let his gaze roam over the ceiling. "And what about me? What will you do with me once you've gotten complete control of everything? You won't need me anymore."

Nasaulea's lips curled back into a cruel grin. "I'll make you my underling. You'll carry out my orders, but I'll treat you like a person instead of an animal or a whore."

"Hmm. That seems like a terribly depressing existence," he muttered, frowning. "Carrying out orders. Will I have any say over my life, or will all of my actions be based on what you say?"

She sighed. "That's what I always hated about you. You always want to know everything before you agree to it."

He turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow. "I learned from the first time I accepted your offer and was taken advantage of. I wouldn't like to be used like that again."

She rolled her eyes and sighed again, waving his concern away. "Oh, I suppose I can give you a little leeway. But then you can't say I'd never done anything for you."

"_Dad? Dad, are you okay?"_

Akuju narrowed his eyes as he heard Sköll making his way toward his cell. He glanced at Fenrir's trembling form, then looked back up at Nasaulea, standing slowly. "As long as I'm allowed to use the harem you're bound to accumulate, I suppose I don't mind. After all, I know you're too much of a slut to stay faithful to me, so why should I stay faithful to you?"

The witch laughed and slapped him lightly on the shoulder—in her standards. It still hurt him quite a lot. "That's why I like you. You're feisty, but in a passive-aggressive sort of way."

"Passive-aggressive has always aggravated people more than open aggression," he replied. He heard Sköll coming closer. "I'm ready to see daylight. It's been quite some time."

Nasaulea frowned before her eyes narrowed into a glare. "I was looking forward to ripping the other wolves to shreds again."

"You can come back and do it later. _I_ want to go outside," Akuju snapped.

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, fine. I suppose I don't mind coming back to torture them later."

Akuju heard a snarl just as she snapped her fingers, and he heard the metal grating of the door screech and snap as the other wolf slammed inside to see his father. Then, he found himself in a cave, feeling very much put out. "Hmm. Very glamorous."

"Don't worry; I'll find something much more extravagant once I take over Mythaven. Perhaps even that 'Nest' place the Golden One keeps." Nasaulea waved it away. "I'm going to go back and torture those wolves. Why don't you just amuse yourself with _her_ while I'm gone?"

The raven-haired man felt a lump form in his throat when he saw the bruised, bleeding body of the girl at the back of the cave. However, he swallowed past it and nodded. "I'll do my best to keep from getting bored."

"Good. Oh, and _darling._" The witch's face twisted into a glare. "If I come back and see that you're gone, I'll find you again and make you wish you were back being tortured by those filthy wolves."

Akuju shrugged. "I was tortured for quite some time by those filthy wolves. I'd be interested to see what you could do." He grunted as she reached out to jab her sharp nails into the still-bleeding welts on his back. "Ngh!"

"I'll have you know, I'm crueler than those mangy mutts could ever hope to be," she hissed, glaring at him, then smirked and drew her hand to her face so she could lick the blood from her fingers. "You still taste delicious, Akuju. I wouldn't mind a little _fun_ later."

"We'll see if I have enough energy when you get back," he deadpanned. "It's been a while since I've had sex, and that girl back there looks like a warm enough body that I can sate myself with her."

Nasaulea pouted. "Oh… If I'd known that, I never would have offered her."

He raised an eyebrow. "Would you like me to wait?"

"I suppose not, considering you've been locked up for so long. I'll just fuck you tomorrow," she replied, holding her hand out. "After I've finished fucking _her_ again. She squeals like a little virgin when you lick her pussy."

Akuju hummed. "Let me guess. You did everything you could to make sure she's no longer a virgin in any way."

The woman laughed cruelly. "Well of course I did, darling. She was such a little prude, I just _had_ to."

Akuju watched as she snapped and disappeared from sight, then turned and slowly moved toward the back of the cave. Kneeling beside the girl's broken body, he carefully brushed her hair out of her face before stroking her cheek. "I know you're awake," he said gently.

It was probably more out of surprise at being spoken to so nicely than resignation at being raped again that she opened her eyes. His breath hitched a little as fuchsia eyes still retaining a little of their innocence gazed up at him. She blinked once, twice, then turned her gaze on his chest.

After a moment, she said, "You're bleeding."

"I find myself in that condition all the time," he replied, smiling a little. "Mostly because I deserve it."

"Oh. …Are you going to use me now?" she asked, letting her eyes drift shut again.

She probably expected him to, thinking he was just as evil as the woman that had abused her so much. Shaking his head, he answered, "No, I don't think I will." He glanced around the cave slowly. "Do you know where we are?"

"No. It hurts too much to move." She whimpered as he gently slid his arms under her knees, thighs flinching together instinctively. "No-!"

"Shh. Nasaulea wouldn't choose a place that didn't have running water nearby," Akuju explained, wrapping an arm behind her shoulders, then carefully stood, holding her to his chest. "I thought you might appreciate being clean. What's your name?"

She ducked her head, biting her bottom lip anxiously. "…L-Lita."

"Lita. Hmm." It sounded vaguely familiar, but he couldn't seem to remember where he'd heard it before. He tilted his head and glanced around as he stepped out of the cave, taking in the scene of trees and bushes around him, and the small creek winding away from a pond nearby. "Well, at least she found a decent place to keep you. I don't doubt she will find someplace more extravagant in a day or two," he added to himself, frowning, as he walked over to the creek. "It'll be cold, but you'll be clean."

Lita jerked in his arms, eyes shooting open as she suddenly dug her nails into his shoulders. "Ngh-!"

He'd thought it was fear, at first, but then he noticed that her pupils were dilated much too large in even the dim light they were standing in. "A premonition," he sighed, rolling his eyes skyward. "You're a witch, too. Fantastic."

She sobbed and turned her head away, brows furrowing together. "Oil-! Oil isn't going to work!"

"Oil isn't going to work on what?" he asked, frowning. He grunted as her nails scratched his skin open. "Ow."

"Tell Haruki that oil isn't going to kill her!" she gasped, staring up at him in terror, then swooned, eyes rolling back as she fell limp in his arms.

Akuju could only stare, mouth hanging open in a gape. Suddenly, the memory that Lita's name had niggled up came completely to the fore in his mind. She'd been the one he was originally interested in, but then he'd met Haruko and had been told in no uncertain terms that he would not be dating her. First, he'd only been focused on proving his worth to her that he deserved her little sister.

Once he'd started spending time with Haruko, however, he'd found himself falling for _her,_ with her feisty attitude and cynical personality. And, when she began to hesitantly return his affections, he'd done everything he could to show that he truly care for her. Then her parents had stepped in and informed him he had no chance in marrying her unless he had a job. That had been his undoing, because then he'd met Nasaulea.

Oh God. He was holding his ex-lovers little sister, the apple of Haruki's eye. She'd been raped. She'd been slapped around. She was bleeding and broken.

Haruki was going to kill him.

Hopefully, if Haruki ever came across them, Lita could put in a good word for him, saying he'd actually tried to take care of her when he could. At least… if she got the chance to tell him so before Haruki killed him.

.-.-.-.-.-.

Yugi turned as he heard the door open, wondering who else could possibly be arriving. When he saw the woman that had once accused him of being a child but covered in blood, he immediately stood and hid behind his darker half, who was yelling at the TV as he tried to hack and slash the tomb robber with a Wii remote.

Yami frowned. "Aibou, what—" Sensing evil behind him, he immediately turned, the Eye of Horus glowing on his forehead.

"Well, well, well."

The rest of the group immediately turned at the cruel voice, and Téa, Tristan, and Duke immediately stood, ready to flee and trusting both Yami and Bakura to protect Yugi and Ryou.

The woman smirked. "I see you at least know to fear me. Oh, and I see some familiar faces." She leered at Ryou and Yugi, grin showing off surprisingly sharp teeth. When her gaze landed on the only other female occupant of the room, however, she frowned. "Well, you look familiar as well…"

Téa blinked, baffled. "Uh… I-I don't think we've ever met."

"…Ah! I know why!" The evil woman smiled again. "You look a lot like the woman I stole my powers from. You've probably at least heard of her. A witch? Lusted for some of the most _gorgeous_ ruby slippers?"

The room chilled by at least twenty degrees. The boys all inched away subtly. The woman in the doorway blinked.

"Are you…" Téa gripped her hands into fists so tight that her knuckles turned white. "…Are you… implying…" She turned a glare on the mysterious woman, the vein in her temple pulsing as she hissed, "That I'm the Wicked Witch of the West?"

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Well of course, dear."

The brunette's eye twitched. "I see."

Tristan immediately grabbed Duke's arm and dragged him behind a couch. "Get down!"

"…What?" The woman blinked as the other boys scampered to follow suit. "What on earth…?"

"I AM NOT AN UGLY GREEN WITCH!" Téa roared, turning and swinging her fist upward to uppercut the woman out of the room—and, quite possibly, out of the shop entirely. Turning to the boys in the various hiding spots, she scowled. "Do I look like an ugly green witch?"

"No!"

"Of course not!"

"Don't listen to her—she's crazy!"

She took a deep breath, then sighed and sagged into a chair. "…So is it my turn to play yet?"

Yami and Bakura handed her their remotes at the same time.


End file.
